Lily Potter and the Philosophers Stone
by WhatAmIDoingWithMyself
Summary: Lily Potter is the twin sister of Harry Potter. This is her first year at Hogwarts, who will she befriend? and how will she cope with the dangers surrounding her? Sorry, I suck at summaries.
1. Chapter 1

**AN-Hi, this is my first Harry Potter Fanfic, so i'm not sure how it'll turn out as i'm still learning on how to write fanfiction, since I usually read them more than write.**

 **Disclaimer- I own nothing Apart From Lily Potter :)**

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'...yes, the thing is-the thing is, we don't know how to-'

'How to get on to the platform?' The red-haired lady kindly asked. 'Not to worry,' She said 'All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Best do it at a bit of a run if your nervous.' Lily and Harry shared a look; it made sense that they had to go through a barrier, after their trip to Diagon Alley, they wouldn't be too surprised at anything. 'Go on Harry.' Lily flashed her brother a grin, before pushing her brother forwards. Harry turned to glare at his sister, before thanking the lady that had kindly helped them.

'Nice to meet you, I'm Lily.' Lily grinned at the young boy, Ron, his name was, and held out her hand. Hesitantly, Ron held out his hand and shook it. She turned to watch Harry, who was sprinting towards the brick wall. Lily flinched when Harry reached the wall. She knew he wouldn't crash, but still, it worried her.

Lily began to walk towards the wall-then walking faster and faster, until she was running, her vivid ginger hair flying out behind her, emerald eyes twinkling in anticipation. She felt a cool sensation, almost like a slight breeze, and when she opened her eyes again, she nearly tripped over.

Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every colour wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks. 'Harry! We're on the platform! we're finally going to Hogwarts!' Lily's grin was the brightest Harry had ever seen, and he knew his was to match with hers.

'c'mon, We better find a compartment.' Lily Pushed her trolled along, peeking for an empty compartment. The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Lily pushed her cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat. She passed a round-faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again."

'Oh, Neville,' Lily heard the old woman sigh.

A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.

'Give us a look, Lee, go on.'

The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.

Lily pressed on through the crowd until She finally found an empty compartment near the end of the train

'Here Harry! This ones free, so hurry up!' Lily yelled out over the talking and rushing going around and about on the platform.

Harry and Lily lifted both of their owls, Hedwig and Pickles, cages into the compartment, then to try and heave their trunks into the compartment also.'Here, give me a had with my trunk.' Lily Grabbed one side of Harry's trunk. 'My God, What's in here? Feels like a heap of bricks!' Lily exclaimed, dropping the trunk. 'Ow!' Harry hissed in pain as the trunk fell onto his toe. 'Sorry.' Lily smiled sheepishly.

'Want a Hand?' it was one of the red-haired twins he'd followed through the barrier. 'Yes please.' Harry Panted, whilst Lily, ever the charmer, flashed the twin a grin. 'Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!' With the twins help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.

'And what about you, Want a hand?' 'Of course! You shouldn't even have to ask, not much of a gentleman, are you's?' Lily grinned. The twins and Harry let out a snort;The twins out of amusement, Harry's out of exasperation. 'Ah, much lighter!' One of the twins exclaimed. 'Thanks' Lily said, pushing her hair out of her eyes. 'Whats that?' Said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Lily's lightning scar. 'Blimey,' said the other twin. 'Are you -?'

'She is,' said the first twin. 'Aren't you?' He added to Lily. Harry looked on in confusion. 'What?' Asked Lily and Harry. ' _Harry and Lily Potter_ ,' chorused the twins. 'Oh them,' Harry and Lily said in unison. 'I mean, yes, we are.'

Lily met Harry's eyes. Hagrid had warned them about this, but still, it was hard to believe they were famous.

The two boys gawped at them and Lily felt herself going red. Then,to her and Harry's relief, a voice came floating through the train's open door,

'Fred? George? Are you there?

'Coming, Mum.'

With a last look at the Potter twins, The ginger twins hopped off the train. 'I'm never going to get used to people doing that.' Lily sighed. 'yeah, well, may aswell get used to it.' Harry added in a not-so-happy tone.

They sat down next to the windown, half-hidden, so they could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying. 'I'd fit right in amongst them, wouldn't I?' Lily asked herself aloud.

Their mother had just taken out a handkerchief. 'Ron, you've got something on your nose.'

The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose.

'Mum- geroff" He wriggled free.

'Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?' said one of the twins.

'Shut up,'said Ron. Lily let out a snort, while Harry shook his head and grinned.

'Where's Percy?' asked their mother.

'He's coming now.'

'The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Harry noticed a shiny silver badge on his chest with the letter P on it.

'Can't stay long, Mother,' he said. 'I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves -'

'Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?' said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. 'You should have said something, we had no idea.'

'Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it,' said the other twin. 'Once -'

'Or twice -'

'A minute -'

'All summer -'

'Oh, shut up,' said Percy the Prefect. Lily let out another giggle. 'Funny lot aren't they? the twins I mean?' Lily asked Harry. 'Not bad looking either...' Lily muttered, eyeing off the twins and the prefect, Percy.

'How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?' said one of the twins.

'Because he's a prefect,' said their mother fondly. 'All right, dear, well, have a good term- send me an owl when you get there.' She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins.

'Now, you two- this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've- you've blown up a toilet or -'

'Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet.'

'Great idea though, thanks, Mum,'

'It's not funny. And look after Ron.'

'Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us.'

'Shut up," said Ron again. He was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.

'Hey, Mum, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"

Harry and Lily leaned back quickly so they couldn't see the Potter twins looking.

'You know that black-haired boy and the red-haired girl who was near us in the station? Know who they are?'

'Who?'

'Harry Potter!'

Harry and lily heard the little girl's voice.

'Oh, Mum, can I go on the train and see them,Mum, please...' 'You've already seen them, Ginny, and the poor children aren't something you goggle at in a zoo. Are they really, Fred? How do you know?'

'Asked them. Saw his sister's scar. It's really there - like lightning.'

'Poor dears- no wonder he and his sister were alone, I wondered. they were both ever so polite when they asked how to get onto the platform.' Harry smiled at his sister. They never got actual compliments, even if it was on their politeness.

'Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?' Their mother suddenly became very stern. 'I forbid you to ask them, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though those poor dears need reminding of that on their first day at school.'

'All right, keep your hair on.'

A whistle sounded.

'Hurry up!' their mother said, and the three boys clambered onto the train. They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good-bye, and their younger sister began to cry.

'Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls.'

'We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat.'

'George!'

'Only joking, Mum.'

The train began to move. Harry and Lily saw the boys' mother waving and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then she fell back and waved. Lily watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window, and Lily felt a great leap of excitement. She didn't know what she was going to but it had to be better than what Harry and her were leaving behind.

The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest redheaded boy came in.

'Anyone sitting there?'he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Harry. 'Everywhere else is full.'

'Take a seat.' Lily grinned, and the boy sat down. He glanced at Harry and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Harry and Lily noticed he still had a black mark on his nose.

'Hey, Ron.'

The twins were back.

'Listen, we're going down the middle of the train - Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there.'

'Right,' mumbled Ron.

'Harry, Lily,' said the other twin, 'Did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then.'

'See ya! Called Lily as Harry and Ron said 'bye'. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.

'Are you really Harry And Lily Potter?' Ron blurted out.

Harry nodded. 'Of course we are! who else are we gonna be?' Lily laughed

'Oh -well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes,' mumbled Ron. Lily nodded in slight understanding.

'And have you really got - you know...-'

He pointed at Harry's forehead.

Harry pulled back his bangs to show the lightning scar. Ron stared. 'what about you?' He turned to Lily. She rolled her eyes and shifted her hair.

'So that's where You-Know-Who-' 'Yes, 'said Harry, "but we can't remember it.'

'Nothing?' said Ron eagerly. 'Well - we remember a lot of green light, but nothing else, really...' Lily added

'Wow,' muttered Ron. He sat and stared at Harry for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again. Lily let out a breath she hadn't realised she had been holding, and her eyes flicked to Harry.

'Are all your family wizards?' asked Lily , who found Ron just as interesting as Ron found her and Harry.

'Er - Yes, I think so,' said Ron. 'I think Mum's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him.'

'So you must know loads of magic already.' Harry commented. The Weasleys were clearly one of those old wizarding families the pale boy in Diagon Alley had talked about.

' I heard you went to live with Muggles,' said Ron. 'What are they like?'

'Horrible -well, not all of them. our aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers." Lily smiled dreamily. 'I mean I've got Harry, but it'd be nice to talk to someone intelligent...' Lily grinned. 'Hey!' 'Just kidding!' lily defended herself.

'Five,' corrected Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy. 'I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left - Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat.' Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was asleep.

'His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff - I mean, I got Scabbers instead.' Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.

Lily didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. After all, Harry and herself never had any money in theirlife until a month ago, and Lily told Ron so, all about having to wear Dudley's old clothes even though she was a girl and never getting proper birthday presents. This seemed to cheer Ron up.

'...and until Hagrid told us, we didn't know anything about being a witch and wizard or about our parents or Voldemort'

Ron gasped. 'What?' asked Harry and Lily.

'You said You-Know-Who's name!' said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. 'I'd have thought you, of all people -'

'I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name," said Lily, 'I-we just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? we've got loads to learn... I bet," she added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying her, and Harry, a lot lately, 'I bet I'm the worst in the class.' Lily said sadly. Before Harry could reply, Ron cut in again.

'You won't be. There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough.'

While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. The three were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.

Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their doo. 'Anything off the trolley, dears?'

'Harry, who hadn't had any breakfast because he had given his small portion to Lily leapt to his feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Harry went out into the corridor.

He and Lily had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that they both had pockets rattling with gold and silver he was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry - but the woman didn't have Mars Bars. What she did have were Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs. Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry or Lily had never seen in there life. Not wanting to miss anything, he got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.

Ron stared as Harry brought it all back in to the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat.

'Hungry, are you?'

'Starving," said Harry and Lily, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty each.

Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart. 'She always forgets I don't like corned beef.'

'Swap you for one of these," Lily smiled, holding up a pasty. 'Go on -'

'You don't want this, it's all dry,' Ron mumbled. 'She hasn't got much time,' he added quickly, 'you know, with five of us.'

'Go on, have a pasty,'encouraged Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all of Harry and Lily's pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).

'What are these?" Lily asked Ron frowing, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. 'They're not really frogs, are they?' She was starting to feel that nothing would surprise at all would surprise her. Nothing at all.

'Nah,' said Ron. 'But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa.'

'What?' 'Oh, of course, you wouldn't know - Chocolate Frogs have cards, inside them, you know, to collect - famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy.'

Lily nodded her head and unwrapped her Chocolate Frog and picked up the card.

It showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and mustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore. 'Ah, so this is Dumbledore!' Exclaimed Lily.'

'Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!' said Ron. 'Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa - thanks.'

Lilyturned over her card and read:

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS

 _Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling._

Lily turned the card back over and saw, to her and Harry's astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared.

'He's gone!'

'Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day,can you?' Asked Ron, who was rolling his eyes. 'He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her... do you want it? You can start collecting.' Lily nodded her thanks and took the Morgana card from Ron.

Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be unwrapped.

'Help yourself,' said Harry, who saw Ron eyeing them off. 'But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos.'

'Do they? What, they don't move at all?' Ron sounded amazed. 'weird!'. Lily let out a small giggle, and grinned sheepishly as Ron and Harry turned to look at her.

Lily stared as Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his card and gave her a small smile. Ron was more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Lily couldn't keep her eyes off them. Soon she had not only Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, and Merlin. Lily finally tore her eyes away from the druidess Cliodna, who was scratching her nose, to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

'You want to be careful with those," Ron warned Harry reached for a bean. 'When they say every flavor, they mean every flavor - you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he had a boogey flavored one once.'

Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner.

'Bleaaargh - see? Sprouts.' They had a good time eating the Every Flavor Beans. Harry got toast, coconut, baked beans, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardines, and was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny gray one Ron wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper. Lily on the otherhand got Chocolate pudding, apple, rotton eggs, onion, salt, chilli, caramel, popcorn and parsnip.

The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills. Lily loved this part of the scenery. She had always had an obsession with woods and forests and places like that.

There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Lily had passed on platform nine and threequarters came in. He looked tearful.

'Sorry,' he said, 'but have you seen a toad at all?'

When they shook their heads, he wailed, 'I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!'

'He'll turn up,' Lily tried to say positively. 'Yes,' said the boy miserably. "Well, if you see him...'

The boy left the compartment.

'Don't know why he's so bothered,' said Ron. 'If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk.'

The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap. 'He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust. 'I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look...' Lily perked up instantly. Ron rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end.

'Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway-'

He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.

'Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.

'We've already told him we haven't seen it,' Ron told her, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand. 'Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then.' She sat down. Ron looked taken aback.'

'Er - all right.'

He cleared his throat.

'Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow.'

He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed gray and fast asleep.

'Are you sure that's a real spell?' said the girl. 'Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard - I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough - I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?'

She said all this very fast.

Harry looked at Ron, and was relieved to see by his stunned face that he hadn't learned all the course books by heart either. Lily on the other hand... 'Oh no, I knew I should have read them more.' She muttered lowly to herself.

'I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.

'Lily Potter,' Lily said holding her hand out. 'And this is my brother, Harry.' Hermione shook her hand firmly.

'Are you really?' asked Hermione. Lily rolled her eyes. "no duh..." She thought to herself. 'I know all about you, of course - I got a few extra books,for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century.'

'Are We?' said Harry, feeling dazed. 'Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me,' said Hermione. 'Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad... Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon.'

And she left, taking the toadless boy, Neville, with her.

'Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," grumbled Ron. Lily snorted and rolled her eyes. He threw his wand back into his trunk. 'Stupid spell - George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud.' 'Ah, that explains a lot.' Lily nodded to herself.

'What house are your brothers in?' asked Harry, steering the conversation away from dud spells and bossy girls.

'Gryffindor,' said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. 'Mum and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin.'

'That's the house Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?' Harry asked. 'Yeah,' said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed. 'You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter," Lily smiled hopefully, trying to take Ron's mind off of the houses. 'So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?'

Lily just had to ask, she was wondering what a wizard did once they'd finished school. 'Charlie's in Romania studying dragons, and Bill's in Egypt doing something for Gringotts,' said Ron. ;Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles - someone tried to rob a high security vault.'

Harry and Lily stared.

'Really? What happened to them?'

'Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it.'

Lily turned this news over in her mind. Harry and Herself were starting to get a prickle of fear every time You- Know-Who was mentioned. She supposed this was all part of entering the magical world, but it had been a lot more comfortable saying "Voldemort" without worrying.

'What's your Quidditch team?' Ron asked.

'Er - I don't know any,' Harry confessed. Lily looked blankly at Ron.

'What!' Ron looked dumbfounded. 'Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world -'

And he was off, explaining all about

the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. He was just taking Harry and Lily through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy, or Hermione Granger this time.

Three boys entered, and Lily recognized the middle one at once: it was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop. He was looking at Lily with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.

'Is it true?' he said in a arrogant voice. 'They're saying all down the train that Harry and Lily Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

'Well, I'm the only girl here,'nLily said sarcastically. She was looking at the other boys. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean and were very ugly. Lily scrunched up her nose in distaste. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.

'Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle,' said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Lily was looking. 'And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy.' Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger.

Draco Malfoy looked at him.

'Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford.' Lily frowned and stood up.

He turned back to Harry. 'You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potters. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there.'

He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it. Thank God, Thought Lily. of course, she knew her brother wasn't that stupid, but still...

'I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks,' he said coolly. Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks. Lily bit her cheek to keep from laughing at the stunned expression on his pale face.

'I'd be careful if I were you, Potters,' he said slowly. 'Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you.'

Both Harry and Ron stood up, and Lily advanced on Draco.'Say that again,' Ron said, his face as red as his hair.

'Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.

'Unless you get out now," said Harry, more bravely than he felt, because Crabbe and Goyle were a lot bigger than him or Ron.

'But we don't feet like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some.'

Goyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron - Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell. Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle - Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbers finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disappeared at once, but not before Lily socked Malfoy in the eyes. Perhaps they thought there were more rats lurking among the sweets, or perhaps they'd heard footsteps, because a second later, Hermione Granger had come in.

'What has been going on?' she demanded, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by his tail.

'I think he's been knocked out,'Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at Scabbers. 'No - I don't believe it - he's gone back to sleep-' And so he had. Lily burst out in a fit of laughter, followed shortly by Harry.

'You've met Malfoy before?'. Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.

'I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. 'They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side.' He turned to Hermione. 'Can we help you with something?'

'You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!' Lily rolled her eyes. Honestly, this girl...

'Scabbers has been fighting, not us,' said Ron, scowling at her. 'Would you mind leaving while we change?'

'All right - I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors,' said Hermione in a sniffy voice. 'And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?'

Ron glared at her as she left. Lily peered out of the window. It was beginning to start getting dark now, and she could see mountains and forests under a breathtaking deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.

Harry, Ron and Lily took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes. Ron's were a bit short for him, you could see his sneakers underneath them.

A voice echoed through the train: 'We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately.'

Lily's stomach lurched with nerves and Ron, she saw, looked pale under his freckles, as did her brother. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Lily shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Lily heard an oddly comforting familiar voice: 'Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry,Lily?'

Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.

'C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!'

Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Lily thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice. 'I still can't believe i'm here...' Lily smiled to herself.

'Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec,' Hagrid called over his shoulder, 'jus' round this bend here.'

There was a loud "Oooooh!"

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black take. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

'No more'n four to a boat!' Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry, Lily and Ron were followed into their boat by Neville. 'Everyone in?' shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. 'Right then - FORWARD!'

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Lily peered slightly over the edge of the boat, her reflection in the clear, dark water, which the stars and moon of the night sky shined off.

Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

'Heads down!' yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

'Oy, you there! Is this your toad?' said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

'Trevor!' cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Lily smiled, happy that Neville had found his toad. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

Everyone walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, Oak front door.

'Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?'

Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

* * *

 **AN- next chapter I'm hoping to get more of Lily's actual thoughts in, as it's probably a little confusing to read right now, sorry.**

j


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2-

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Lily's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.

'The firs' years, Professor McGonagall,' boomed Hagrid.

'Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here.'

The professor pulled the door wide. Lily's eyes went wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Dursleys' house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors. It was beautiful-magical was even more of a fit.

The group of first years followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Lily could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right.'The rest of the school must already be here.' Thought Lily, but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously. Lily bit her lip nervously, and shuffled closer to Harry.

'Welcome to Hogwarts,' said Professor McGonagall. 'The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

'The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

'The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.'

Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, on Ron's smudged nose, and on Draco Malfoy's eyes, which had swollen and started to bruise, much to the delight of Lily, who smirked his way. Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair and Lily pulled hers into a messy bun, not caring how her hair looked, or even that her scar was showing. May as well get it out of the way, Lily thought to herself in an almost bitter manner.

'I shall return when we are ready for you,' said Professor McGonagall. 'Please wait quietly.'

The professor left the chamber. Lily swallowed. I wonder how we're sorted?

'How exactly do they sort us into houses?' Harry voiced what Lily was thinking to Ron.

'Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking.'

Lily's heart gave a horrible jolt. A test? In front of the whole school? But she didn't know any magic yet-what on earth would she have to do? She hadn't expected something like this the moment they arrived. Lily looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too. No one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need. Lily tried hard not to listen to her. She'd never been more nervous, never, not even when she and Harry had to take their school reports home to the Dursley's, saying that she'd somehow turned her teacher's wig blue and that Harry had turned one of Dudley's gang members hair pink. She kept her eyes fixed on the door. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead her to her doom.

Then something happened that made Lily jump about a foot in the air-several people behind her screamed.

'What the -?'

Lily let out a gasp. So did the people around her, including her brother, who's eyes were bulging. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: 'Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance-'

'My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost -I say, what are you all doing here?'

A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.

Nobody answered. Just as Lily was kindly going to answer, the little monk spoke again.

'New students!' said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. 'About to be Sorted, I suppose?'

A few people nodded mutely.

'Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!' said the Friar. 'My old house, you know.'

'Move along now.' said a sharp voice. 'The Sorting Ceremony's about to begin.'

Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall. 'Now, form a line,' Professor McGonagall told the first years, 'And follow me.'

Feeling oddly as though her legs had turned to lead, Lily got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with Harry behind her, and then Ron behind Harry, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of huge, grand double doors into the Great Hall.

Lily had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in mid-air over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting.

Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Lily looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. She heard Hermione whisper, "Its bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in-' '-Hogwarts, A history.' Lily finished. Hermione turned to look at her with a small smile.

It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.

Lily quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Aunt Petunia wouldn't have let it in the house.

Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it, Lily thought wildly, that seemed the sort of thing - noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, she stared at it, too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing:

 _'Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

 _But don't judge on what you see,_

 _I'll eat myself if you can find_

 _A smarter hat than me._

 _You can keep your bowlers black,_

 _Your top hats sleek and tall,_

 _For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

 _And I can cap them all._

 _There's nothing hidden in your head_

 _The Sorting Hat can't see,_

 _So try me on and I will tell you_

 _Where you ought to be._

 _You might belong in Gryffindor,_

 _Where dwell the brave at heart,_

 _Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart;_

 _You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

 _Where they are just and loyal,_

 _Those patient Hufflepuffis are true And unafraid of toil;_

 _Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

 _if you've a ready mind,_

 _Where those of wit and learning,_

 _Will always find their kind;_

 _Or perhaps in Slytherin_

 _You'll make your real friends,_

 _Those cunning folk use any means_

 _To achieve their ends._

 _So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

 _And don't get in a flap!_

 _You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

 _For I'm a Thinking Cap!'_

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

'So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Harry and Lily . 'I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll.' Lily let out a laugh, but then she smiled weakly. Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than having to do a spell, but she did wish they could have tried it on without everyone watching. The hat seemed to be asking rather a lot; Lily didn't feel brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment. If only the hat had mentioned a house for people who felt a bit queasy, that would have been the one for her.

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

'When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted,'' she said.

'Abbott, Hannah!'

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moments pause-

'HUFFLEPUFF!' shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Lily saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.

'Bones, Susan!'

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.

" Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Lily could see Ron's twin brothers catcalling.

"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin. Perhaps it was Lily's imagination, after all she'd heard about Slytherin, but she thought they looked like an unpleasant lot. She was starting to feel definitely sick now. She remembered being picked for teams during gym at her old school. Lily had always been last to be chosen, not because she was no good, but because no one wanted Dudley to think they liked her, or Harry.

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Sometimes, Lily noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to Lily in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. Ron groaned.

A horrible thought struck Lily, as horrible thoughts always do when you're very nervous. What if she wasn't chosen at all? What if she just sat there with the hat over her eyes for ages, until Professor McGonagall jerked it off her head and said there had obviously been a mistake and she'd better get back on the train?

When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."

Then Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"

Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself. Lily was still very please though that she had given him a black eye, which stood out terribly against his pale skin.

There weren't many people left now. "Moon" "Nott" "Parkinson" then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil" then "Perks, Sally-Anne" and then, "Potter, Harry!" As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

"Potter, did she say?"

"The Harry Potter?"

Lily pushed Harry forward, and bit her lip as he stumbled up the stairs and pulled the raggedy hat over his eyes.

It seemed it had been forever that Harry had been chanting 'Not Slytherin, Not Slytherin.' under his breath, when the hat finally called-'GRYFFINDOR!'

"Potter, Lily!'

once again whispers broke out all over.

"Lily Potter, did she say?"

"The sister of Harry Potter?"

The last thing Lily saw before the hat dropped over her eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at her. The next second she was looking at the black inside of the hat. She waited.

"Hmm," said a small voice in her ear. Lily jumped. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, Ah, my goodness, yes - and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting... So much like your brother...So where shall I put you?"

Lily gripped the edges of the stool and thought, 'Not Slytherin, Not Slytherin', much like Harry had been doing earlier.

"Not Slytherin, eh?" said the small voice. "Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that - no? you want to be with your brother? Well, if you're sure - better be GRYFFINDOR!"

Lily heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. She took off the hat and sprinted to the Gryffindor table in pure glee. A bright grin took over her face. She was so relieved to have been chosen for Gryffindor and not put in Slytherin, she hardly noticed that she was getting the loudest cheer yet, Even louder than Harry's.

Percy the Prefect got up and shook her hand vigorously, while the Weasley twins yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Lily hugged her brother tightly and then sat down opposite the ghost in the ruff she had seen earlier. The ghost patted her arm, giving Lily the sudden, horrible feeling she'd just plunged it into a bucket of ice-cold water.

She could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest her sat Hagrid, who caught Lily's eye and gave her the thumbs up. Lily grinned back. And there, in the centre of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. Lily recognized her at once from the card out of the Chocolate Frog package on the train. Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts. Lily spotted Professor Quirrell, too, the nervous young man from the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban.

And now there were only three people left to be sorted. "Thomas, Dean," a Black boy even taller than Ron, joined Harry and herself at the Gryffindor table. "Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. Lily crossed her fingers under the table and a second later the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Lily and Harry clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to Harry.

"Well done, Ron, excellent," said Percy Weasley who was across Harry, and next to Lily, much to her delight, as "Zabini, Blaise," was made a Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.

Lily looked down at her empty gold plate. She had only just realized how hungry she really was. The pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago.

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there. "Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

"Thank you!"

Dumbledore sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered, though Lily didn't know whether to laugh or not.

"Is he - a bit mad?" she asked Percy uncertainly.

"Mad?" said Percy airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Lily? Harry?" Lily smiled sweetly at him, before her mouth fell open. The dishes in front of her were now piled with food. She had never seen so many things she liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops,sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs. 'Probably to refresh your mouth between each meal.' She voiced to Harry, who could be quite thick at times. 'oh.'

The Dursleys had never exactly starved Lily and Harry, but She'd never been allowed to eat as much as she liked, in fact, she was fed even less than Harry. Dudley had always taken anything that Harry or Lily really wanted, even if It made him sick. Lily created a small mountain on her plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat. It was all delicious. 'Are you able to even eat that much?' One of the Weasley twins, Fred, Lily thought, asked. 'Of course I can,' She scoffed. 'Don't ever doubt her, she'll make it happen.' Harry added.

"That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching Lily cut up her juicy steak.

"Can't you -?"

"I haven't eaten for nearly four hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower." Weird name, thought Lily.

"I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. "My brothers told me about you - you're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy -" the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted.

"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?" Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.

"Like this," he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. 'Wow!' Lily exhaled with raised eyebrows. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, "So, new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable-oh, he's the Slytherin ghost."

Lily sneaked a look over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Malfoy who, Lily was pleased to see, didn't look too content with the seating arrangements

"How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus with great interest. Lily perked up with interest.

"I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately. 'Fair enough, doesn't look to pleasant, does he?' Lily asked Harry.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavour you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jelly, rice pudding...

As Lily helped herself to a treacle tart, the talk turned to their families.

"I'm half-and-half," said Seamus. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mum didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."

The others laughed, and Lily let out an unlady-like snort. Next to her, Percy raised his eyebrows, and she flushed pink.

"What about you, Neville?" Asked Ron.

"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville, "but the family thought I was a squib for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me - he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned - but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced - all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here - they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad.". Lily frowned. A squib... 'What's a squib?' Harry asked. 'oh, someone who's born into a magical family, but their not magic. Basically the opposite of a muggle born. It's pretty rare.' Fred, Lily thought it was, at least, answered Harry's question. 'Ah.' Lily sighed.

On Harry's other side, Hermione was talking to Percy talking about lessons ("I do hope they start right away, there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be very difficult-"; "You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing - "). Lily rolled her eyes at Hermione (How unfair she got to talk to the cute red-head!)

Lily was starting to feel warm and sleepy and looked up at the High Table again. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore and Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.

It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Lily's eyes - and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on both her and Harry's forehead.

"Ouch!" Harry and Lily clapped a hand to their head.

"What is it?" asked Percy.

"N-nothing."

The pain had gone as quickly as it had come. Harder to shake off was the feeling Lily had gotten from the teacher's look - he had a flash of pain on his face, but It came as quickly as it had come.

"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" Harry asked Percy. Lily turned towards Harry.

"Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to - everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape."

Lily watched Snape for a while in the teensiest bit of fascination, but Snape didn't look at her again.

At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.

"Ahem-just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins. Lily hid a smirk behind her hand. It didn't surprise her at all that the twins would venture into the forest at night and such

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Harry and Lily laughed, but They were one of the few who did.

"He's not serious? Right?" she muttered to Percy.

"Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore's words. "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere - the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least though."

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Lily noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.

Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.

"Everyone pick their favourite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!" And the school bellowed:

 _"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

 _Teach us something please,_

 _Whether we be old and bald_

 _Or young with scabby knees,_

 _Our heads could do with filling_

 _With some interesting stuff,_

 _For now they're bare and full of air,_

 _Dead flies and bits of fluff,_

 _So teach us things worth knowing,_

 _Bring back what we've forgot,_

 _just do your best, we'll do the rest,_

 _And learn until our brains all rot._

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march, which Lily giggled at. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.

"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!" Lily raised her eyebrows, she was really starting to think Dumbledore had lost his marbles.

The Gryffindor first years followed Percy (Though Lily had dragged Harry up to be by his side) through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Lily's legs were like lead again, but only because she was so tired and full of food. She was too sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, or that twice Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Lily was just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt.

A bundle of walking sticks was floating in mid-air ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.

"Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." He raised his voice, "Peeves - show yourself"

A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.

"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"

There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross- legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.

"Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"

He swooped suddenly at them and They all ducked.

"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy.

Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armour as he passed. Lily chuckled/

"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are."

At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" she said. "Caput Draconis," Percy said proudly, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it- Neville needed a leg up- and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cosy, round room full of squashy armchairs. the room was mostly coloured in reds and golds, but there was bits of brown and black thrown in too.

Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase -they were obviously in one of the towers-they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, the four girls; Hermione, 'Brown, Lavender', and 'Patil,Parvati' pulled on their pyjamas and fell into bed.

" Great food, isn't it?" Lily muttered to Hermione through the hangings. "Oh no, I forgot about Pickles!' Lily exclaimed. Pickles was a brown barn owl, with forest greens thrown in, hence the name 'Pickles.'

Lily was going to ask Hermione if she'd tried any of the treacle tart, but she fell asleep almost at once.

Perhaps Lily and Harry had eaten a bit too much, because they both had a very strange dream. Lily was wearing Professor Quirrell's turban, which kept talking to her, telling her she must transfer to Slytherin at once, because it was her destiny. Lily told the turban she didn't want to be in Slytherin; it got heavier and heavier; she tried to pull it off but it tightened painfully - and there was Malfoy, laughing at her as she struggled with it -then Malfoy turned into the hook-nosed teacher, Snape, whose laugh became high and cold - there was a burst of green light and Lily woke, sweating and shaking.

She rolled over and fell asleep again, and when she woke next day, she didn't remember the dream at all.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3-

There, look."

"Where?"

"Next to the tall kid with the red hair."

"Wearing the glasses?"

"That girl with the red hair?"

"Did you see their face?"

"Did you see their scar?"

Whispers followed Lily and Harry from the moment they left their dormitorys the next day. People lining up outside classrooms stood on tiptoe to get a look at them, or doubled back to pass them in the corridors again, staring. Lilywished they wouldn't, because she was trying to concentrate on finding her way to classes.

There were a hundred and forty-two staircases in Hogwarts: wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot. The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and Lily was sure the suits of armour could walk.

The ghosts didn't help, either. It was always a nasty shock when one of them glided suddenly through a door you were trying to open. Nearly Headless Nick was always happy to point new Gryffindors in the right direction, but Peeves the Poltergeist was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase if you met him when you were late for class. He would drop wastepaper baskets on your head, pull rugs from under your feet, pelt you with bits of chalk, or sneak up behind you, invisible, grab your nose, and screech, "GOT YOUR CONK!"

Even worse than Peeves, if that was possible, was the caretaker, Argus Filch. Lily, Harry and Ron managed to get on the wrong side of him on their very first morning. Filch found them trying to force their way through a door that unluckily turned out to be the entrance to the out-of-bounds corridor on the third floor. He wouldn't believe they were lost, was sure they were trying to break into it on purpose, and was threatening to lock them in the dungeons when they were rescued by Professor Quirrell, who was passing by, fortunately.

Filch owned a cat called Mrs. Norris, a scrawny, dust-colored creature with bulging, lamp like eyes just like Filch's. She patrolled the corridors alone. If you broke a rule in front of her, or put just one toe out of line, and she'd whisk off for Filch, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later. Filch knew the secret passageways of the school better than anyone (except perhaps the Weasley twins) and could pop up as suddenly as any of the ghosts. The students all hated him, and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs. Norris a good kick, To which Lily has already fulfilled, and would gladly do it again.

And then, once you had managed to find them, there were the classes themselves. There was a lot more to magic, as Lily quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words.

They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets. Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for.

Easily the most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only one taught by a ghost. Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates, and got Emetic the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up. When Lily had that class, she'd use it as an opportunity to catch up on sleep, much like everyone else, except the very studious kids, like Hermione, who Lily didn't actually mind, when she wasn't spewing out facts about magic, or being stiff and uptight, or just lacking the general tactness.

Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. At the start of their first class he took the roll call, and when he reached Harry and Lily's name he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight. Harry had just plain blinked, but Lily scurried over to help him up. 'Five points to Gryffindor, For helping your teacher.' Professor Flitwick had rewarded her. Lily hadn't stopped beaming all class, much to the amusement of Harry, and Ron.

Professor McGonagall was again different. Lily had been quite right to think she wasn't a teacher to cross. Strict and clever, she gave them a talking-to the moment they sat down in her first class. "Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. Lily was very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized she wasn't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time. After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only Hermione and Harry had made any difference to her match; Professor McGonagall showed the class how it had gone all silver and pointy and gave Hermione aand Harry a rare smile.

The class everyone had really been looking forward to was Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Quirrell's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke. His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back to get him one of these days. His turban, he told them, had been given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a troublesome zombie, but they weren't sure they believed this story. For one thing, when Seamus Finnigan asked eagerly to hear how Quirrell had fought off the zombie, Quirrell went pink and started talking about the weather; for another, they had noticed that a funny smell hung around the turban, and the Weasley twins insisted that it was stuffed full of garlic as well, so that Quirrell was protected wherever he went.

Lily was very relieved to find out that she wasn't miles behind everyone else. Lots of people had come from Muggle families and, like her, hadn't had any idea that they were witches and wizards. There was so much to learn that even people like Ron didn't have much of a head start.

Friday was an important day for Lily, Harry and Ron. They finally managed to find their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast without getting lost once, Much to the disappointment of Lily, who wasn't able to search for an excuse to ask Percy to 'Escort' them down.

"What have we got today?" Harry asked Ron as he poured sugar on his porridge.

"Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Ron. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favors them - we'll be able to see if it's true." "Well, I'm quite looking forwards to it, it sounds very similar to cooking, you know.' Lily said as she buttered some toast. As soon as she heard that Hogwarts had a potions class, she had been very interested in it.

"Wish McGonagall favored us, " muttered Harry. Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor House, but it hadn't stopped her from giving them a huge pile of homework the day before.

Just then, the mail arrived. Lily had gotten used to this by now, but it had given her a major shock on the first morning, when more than a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps.

Hedwig or Pickles hadn't brought Harry or Lily anything so far. They sometimes flew in to nibble their respective owners ear and have a bit of toast before going off to sleep in the owlery with the other school owls. This morning, however, Hedwig and Pickles fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note onto Lily and Harry's plate. Lily tore it open at once. It said, in a very untidy scrawl:

 _Dear Lily,_

 _I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three?_

 _I want to hear all about your first week. Send us an answer back with Hedwig._

 _Hagrid_

Harry had the exact same letter, so Harry borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled a 'Yes, please, see you later.' on the back of the note, and sent Hedwig and Pickles off again.

It was lucky that Harry had tea with Hagrid to look forward to, because the Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had happened to him so far.

At the start-of-term banquet, Lily had gotten the idea that Professor Snape disliked her brother, for reasons unknown. By the end of the first Potions lesson, she knew she'd been wrong. Snape didn't dislike Harry - he hated him.

Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.

Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name.

"Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new - celebrity."

Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Lily shot them a glare, which seemed to stop them at once. When Snape called her name, he flinched very badly, and most of the class wore confused expressions. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potionmaking," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word -like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

More silence followed this little speech. Harry and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead, and Lily was trying hard to keep a manical grin from taking over her face.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" 'Er, which Potter, Professor?' Lily asked politely.

" _Mr, Potter."_ Snape snapped. Lily saw Harry glance at Ron, who looked as stumped as Harry was; Hermione's hand had shot into the air, with Lily's following.

"I don't know, sir," said Harry.

Snape's lips curled into a sneer.

"Tut, tut - fame clearly isn't everything."

He ignored Hermione and Lily's hands.

"Let's try again. Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, though Harry clearly didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was. Lily shot the bird at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were shaking with laughter.

"I don't know, sir." "Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Lily forced herself to look straight into those cold eyes. Her and Harry had looked through their books at the Dursleys', but did Snape expect Harry to remember everything in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi?

Snape was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand, and Lily's still hand.

"What is the difference, , between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling.

"I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione and Lily do, though, why don't you try them instead?" 'Yes, why don't you try us instead? And can you honestly expect for a first year to know _fifth year work?'_ Lily snapped.

A few people laughed; Lily saw Harry catch Seamus's eye, and Seamus winked. Snape, however, was shocked.

"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"

There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter." 'Which Potter? And what cheek? Oh, I see, it's the cheek I'm about to give you, isn't it?' Lily snapped again. Some of the Gryffindors let out a few sniggers, and Snape seemed- No, that couldn't be regret, could it? Lily asked herself.

Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors (apart from Lily) as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs, though he let Lily work on her own for some reason, not that she was complaining, and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy and Lily, whom he seemed to like. He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs, after he had finished praising Lily,when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.

"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.

"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville.

"You - Potter - - why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."

This was so unfair that Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Ron kicked him behind their cauldron.

"Don't push it," he muttered, "I've heard Snape can turn very nasty." Lily on the other hand... 'Well, maybe you should take some points off of your own slimy snakes, like that great bullying, prat over there.' Lily gestured to Malfoy, who scowled. Snape just sneered and walked away.

At the end of the lesson, Lily swore she nearly had a heart attack. 'Twenty points to-to Gr-Gryffindor, for not being a dunderhead.' He shuddered, but when he looked at Lily, She could see a but of warmth in his eyes. How strange...

The whole class was shocked into silence. Snape hated Gryffindors, and He only ever took points off of them, never giving points. Snape must really like me then,Lily thought to herself as her, Harry and Ron walked out of the dungeons.

"Cheer up," said Ron to Harry, "Snape's always taking points off Fred and George. Can I come and meet Hagrid with you?" 'Yeah sure, but he really seemed to hate me, not Lily though...' Harry trailed off. 'Weird, isn't it?' Lily asked.

At five to three they left the castle and made their way across the grounds. Hagrid lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the forbidden forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were sitting outside the front door.

When Harry knocked they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks. Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying, "Back, Fang,back."

Hagrid's big, hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open.

"Hang on," he said. "Back, Fang."

He let them in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boarhound.

There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.

"Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid, letting go of Fang, who bounded straight at Ron and started licking his ears. Like Hagrid, Fang was clearly not as fierce as he looked."This is Ron," Harry told Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate.

"Another Weasley, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles. "I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."

"That doesn't surprise me at all, for some reason.' Lily grinned.

The rock cakes were shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke their teeth, but Harry and Ron pretended to be enjoying them as they told Hagrid all about their first -lessons, whilst Lily politely refused, saying she wasn't hungry after all the food she had eaten at lunch, which wasn't a lie, she really couldn't eat anymore. Fang rested his head on Harry's knee and drooled all over his robes, whilst Harry scratched behind his ears.

Harry and Ron were delighted to hear Hagrid call Filch "that old git.", though probably not as happy as Lily.

"An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her - Fitch puts her up to it." "I'll giver her a kick from you next time I see her.' Lily grinned. Hagrid smiled widely and patted her on the back, which sent her forwards, sloshing tea all over the table cloth. 'Oops, sorry 'bout that.'

Harry told Hagrid about Snape's lesson. Hagrid, like Ron and Lily, told Harry not to worry about it, that Snape liked hardly any of the students. 'Bu' it is strange he likes Lily 'ear.' Hagrid admitted.

"But he seemed to really hate me."

"Rubbish!" said Hagrid. "Why should he?"

Yet Lily couldn't help thinking that Hagrid didn't quite meet her and Harry's eyes when he said that.

"How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked Ron. "I liked him a lot - great with animals."

Lily wondered if Hagrid had changed the subject on purpose. It did seem that way, she'd have to ask him again when he least expects it. While Ron told Hagrid all about Charlie's work with dragons, Lily picked up a piece of paper that was lying on the table under the tea cosy. It was a cutting from the Daily Prophet:

 _GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST_

 _Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown._

 _Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day._

 _"But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this afternoon._

Lily showed Harry, who remembered Ron telling Lily and Himself on the train that someone had tried to rob Gringotts, but Ron hadn't mentioned the date.

"Hagrid!" said Harry, "that Gringotts break-in happened on our birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"

There was no doubt about it, Hagrid definitely didn't meet their eyes this time. 'I wonder what he's hiding...' Lily thought.

He grunted and offered him another rock cake. Harry read the story again. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied earlier that same day. Hagrid had emptied vault seven hundred and thirteen, if you could call it emptying, taking out that grubby little package. Had that been what the thieves were looking for?

As Lily, Harry and Ron walked back to the castle for dinner, their pockets weighed down with rock cakes they'd been too polite to refuse, Lily thought that none of the lessons she'd had so far had given her as much to think about as tea with Hagrid. Had Hagrid collected that package just in time? Where was it now? And did Hagrid know something about Snape that he didn't want to tell Harry and Lily? Both about Snape, and The Gringotts break-in.

That night in the Great Hall was full of people asking her why Snape liked her so much, enough to give her _points._ 'Yeah, why does he like you so much, but despises Harry?' George asked her. 'I don't know!' Lily snapped. She blinked and took a deep breath. 'Sorry. I don't know why. All I know is that I look like my mother. So unless he and my mum were friends in Hogwarts, than I don't have any idea. Or that he hated our dad, because Harry looks just like him, apparently, and me like Mum.' Lily spoke loudly, so that everyone around her could hear and stop nagging her. George shook his head, before conversing in hushed whispers with Fred. Percy looked intrigued, but he was probably the only Gryffindor that didn't ask her about it. I should probably thank him...

'Oh, and Percy, thanks for not asking.' Lily said with a kind smile. She did like Percy, no matter how much Fred and George seemed to tease her about it, Which was an awful lot. Even Ron couldn't understand it.

'Anyways-Actually never mind, just pass me the treacle tart!' Lily had a manic look in her eyes, she got it every time she saw the delicious, sweet tart. 'Back away from the tart everyone! We repeat, back away from the tart!' Fred and George called out. Some people laughed, and some pushed the treacle tart towards her, or backed away from the plates of it near them. 'Ah, perfect...' Lily mumbled in content as she bit into a slice.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4-

Lily had never believed that she would meet a boy she hated more than Dudley, but that was before she had met Draco Malfoy.

Still, first-year Gryffindors only had Potions with the Slytherins, so they didn't have to put up with Malfoy much. Or at least, they didn't until they spotted a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common room that made them all groan. Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday - and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together.

"Typical," said Harry darkly. "Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy." Lily sent a sympathetic look at her brother, who totally ignored it.

Lily knew he had been looking forward to learning to fly more than anything else.

"You don't know that you'll make a fool of yourself," said Ron reasonably. "Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk."

Malfoy certainly did talk about flying a lot. He complained loudly about first years never getting on the house Quidditch teams and told long, boastful stories that always seemed to end with him narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters. He wasn't the only one, though: the way Seamus Finnigan told it, he'd spent most of his childhood zooming around the countryside on his broomstick. Even Ron would tell anyone who'd listen about the time he'd almost hit a hang glider on Charlie's old broom. Everyone from wizarding families talked about Quidditch constantly. Ron had already had a big argument with Dean Thomas, who shared their dormitory, about soccer. Ron couldn't see what was exciting about a game with only one ball where no one was allowed to fly. Harry had told Lily how he had caught Ron prodding Dean's poster of West Ham soccer team, trying to make the players move.

Neville had never been on a broomstick in his life, because his grandmother had never let him near one. Privately, Lily felt she'd had good reason, because Neville managed to have an extraordinary number of accidents even with both feet on the ground.

Hermione Granger was almost as nervous about flying as Neville was. This was something you couldn't learn by heart out of a book - not that she hadn't tried. At breakfast on Thursday she bored them all stupid with flying tips she'd gotten out of a library book called Quidditch Through the Ages. Neville was hanging on to her every word, desperate for anything that might help him hang on to his broomstick later, but everybody else was very pleased when Hermione's lecture was interrupted by the arrival of the mail.

Neither Lily or Harry hadn't had a single letter since Hagrid's note, something that Malfoy had been quick to notice, of course. Malfoy's eagle owl was always bringing him packages of sweets from home, which he opened gloatingly at the Slytherin table.

A barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke.

"It's a Remembrall!" he explained. "Gran knows I forget things - this tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red - oh..." His face fell, because the Remembrall had suddenly glowed scarlet,

"You've forgotten something..." Hermione realised. 'Oh no, Because a rememberall doesn't tell you when you've forgotten something.' Lily said sarcastically whilst rolling her eyes.

Neville was trying to remember what he'd forgotten when Draco Malfoy, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the Remembrall out of his hand.

Lily jumped to her feet. She was half hoping for a reason to fight Malfoy, but just after she raised her fist,Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash.

"What's going on?" The professor demanded.

"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor."

Scowling, Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table.

"Just looking," he said, and he sloped away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him.

At three-thirty that afternoon, Harry, Ron, Lily, and the other Gryffindors hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance. Lily deeply inhaled the fresh, clear air, a small smile playing on her lips that disappeared soon enough.

The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Lily had Fred and George Weasley complain, well tell her, about the school brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left.

Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, gray hair, and yellow eyes, which reminded Lily eerily of a hawk.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."

Lily glanced down uncertainly at her broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.

"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!"'

"UP!' everyone shouted.

Lily's broom jumped into her hand at once, as did Harry's, but it was one of the few that did. Hermione Granger's had simply rolled over on the ground, and Neville's hadn't moved at all. Perhaps brooms, like horses, could tell when you were afraid, thought Lily; there was a quiver in Neville's voice that said only too clearly that he wanted to keep his feet on the ground.

Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Harry and Ron were delighted when she told Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years, Though Lily let out a snigger, which got her a disapproving look from Madam Hooch.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle - three - two -"

But Neville, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips.

"Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle - twelve feet - twenty feet. Lily saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and -

WHAM - a thud and a nasty crack and Neville lay facedown on the grass in a heap. His broomstick was still rising higher and higher, and started to drift lazily toward the forbidden forest and out of sight. Lily ran over to Neville. 'Oh Neville, are you okay?'

Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his.

"Broken wrist," Lily heard her mutter. "Come on, boy - it's all right, up you get.".

She turned to the rest of the class.

"None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.' Come on, dear."

Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.

No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?"

The other Slytherins joined in.

"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl. "Never thought you'd like fat little crybabies, Parvati." "You can't talk Parkinson. You look like a pug, and like stupid little blonde ferrets like Malfoy.' Lily snapped. Pansy turned an odd shade of purple.

"Look!" said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."

The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up. Oh no, thought Lily.

"Give that here, Malfoy," said Harry quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch.

Malfoy smiled nastily.

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find - how about - up a tree?"

"Give it here!" Harry and Lily yelled, but Malfoy had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. He hadn't been lying, he could fly well. Hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potters!"

Harry grabbed his broom, and Lily grabbed her and mounted it.

"No!" shouted Hermione Granger. "Madam Hooch told us not to move - you'll get us all into trouble. Both of you!"

Harry and Lily ignored her. Blood was pounding in their ears. He mounted the broom and the twins kicked hard against the ground and up, up they soared; air rushed through Lily's ginger hair,it fanning out around her and her robes whipped out behind hers -and in a rush of fierce joy she realized she and Harry found something they could both do without being taught - this was easy, this was wonderful. the twin both pulled their broomsticks up a little to take it even higher, and heard screams and gasps of girls back on the ground and an admiring whoop from Ron.

He turned his broomstick sharply to face Malfoy in mid-air, as did Lily. Malfoy looks stunned, Lily thought.

"Give it here," Harry called, "Or we'll knock you off that broom!" Finished Lily "Oh, yeah?" said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but looking worried. Two against one, and on brooms...

Lily knew, somehow, what to do. she looked at Harry, and they both leaned forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands, and it shot toward Malfay like a javelin. Malfoy only just got out of the way in time; Harry made a sharp about-face and held the broom steady, whilst Lily Flew over and behind Malfoy. A few people below were clapping, and Ron's laughter at Malfoy being outsmarted could be heard over the call of the wind.

"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy," Harry called. 'And it's two against one.' Lily added from behind it. Malfoy seemed to have forgotten about her.

Then the same thought seemed to have struck Malfoy.

"Catch it if you can, then!" he shouted, and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back toward the ground.

Lily watched as Harry see, as though in slow motion, the ball rise up in the air and then start to fall. He leaned forward and pointed his broom handle down - next second he was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball - wind whistled in his ears, mingled with the screams of people watching - he stretched out his hand - a foot from the ground he caught it, just in time to pull his broom straight, and he flew up in the air, the rememberall tuckled safely in his fist. 'Throw it here!' Lily called. Harry threw the ball, and Lily saw it fly a hundred metres towards a window. Speeding up, she attempted a somersault, which she did successfully, on her broom, and caught the tiny glass ball. Grinning, her and Harry returned to the ground.

"HARRY AND LILIAN POTTER!"

Lily winced at the use of her full name, and her heart sank faster than Harry'd just dived. Professor McGonagall was running toward them. She got to her feet, trembling.

"Never - in all my time at Hogwarts -"

Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously, "- how dare you - might have broken your neck -"

"It wasn't his fault, Professor -"

"Be quiet, Miss Patil

"But Malfoy -"

"That's enough, Mr. Weasley. Potters, follow me, now."

Lily caught sight of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle's triumphant faces as she left, walking numbly in Professor McGonagall's wake as she strode toward the castle. They was going to be expelled, she just knew it. She wanted to say something to defend her and Harry, but there seemed to be something wrong with her voice. Professor McGonagall was sweeping along without even looking at the twins; her and Harry had to jog to keep up. Now they'd done it. They hadn't even lasted two weeks. Her and Harry be packing his bags in ten minutes. What would the Dursleys say when they both turned up on the doorstep?

Up the front steps, up the marble staircase inside, and still Professor McGonagall didn't say a word. She wrenched open doors and marched along corridors with her and Harry trotting miserably behind her. Maybe she was taking them to Dumbledore. She thought of Hagrid, expelled but allowed to stay on as gamekeeper. Perhaps her and Harry could be Hagrid's assistant. Her stomach twisted as she imagined it, watching Ron and the others becoming wizards, while Harry and her stumped around the grounds carrying Hagrid's bag.

Professor McGonagall stopped outside a classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside. "Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?"

Wood? thought Lily, bewildered; was Wood a cane she was going to use on them?

But Wood turned out to be a person, a burly, but cute fifth-year boy who came out of Flitwicks class looking confused.

"Follow me, you two," said Professor McGonagall, and they marched on up the corridor, Wood looking curiously at Harry, and then at Lily, who blushed under his gaze.

"In here."

Professor McGonagall pointed them into a classroom that was empty except for Peeves, who was busy writing rude words on the blackboard.

"Out, Peeves!" she barked. Peeves threw the chalk into a bin, which clanged loudly, and he swooped out cursing. Professor McGonagall slammed the door behind him and turned to face the Twins and Oliver.

"Potters, this is Oliver Wood. Wood - I've found you a Seeker and a chaser." Lily blinked in surprise.

Wood's expression changed from puzzlement to delight.

"Are you serious, Professor?"

"Absolutely," said Professor McGonagall crisply. "Their both naturals. I've never seen anything like it. Was that your first time on a broomstick, Potters?"

Harry nodded silently. 'Um, yes.' Lily said. She didn't have a clue what was going on, but she or Harry didn't seem to be being expelled, and some of the feeling started coming back to her legs.

"He caught that thing in his hand after a fifty-foot dive," Professor McGonagall told Wood. "Didn't even scratch himself. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it. And then Miss Potter here caught that a hundred metres away from her, risked a somersault and all."

Wood was now looking as though all his dreams had come true at once.

"Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Potters?" he asked excitedly. 'Er, no, But our friend Ron explained to us how it works and all-' 'Ah, Percy's brother.' 'You know Percy?' Lily asked curiously, 'We share a dorm, you see. Only Gryffindor boys in our year.' Wood explained. Lily nodded. To think of it, she was pretty sure she had seen Wood around Percy sometimes.

"Wood's captain of the Gryffindor team," Professor McGonagall explained.

"He's just the build for a Seeker, too," said Wood, now walking around Harry and staring at him. "Light - speedy - we'll have to get him a decent broom, Professor - a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say."

"And she's the same build- she'll be faster than the others scoring- we'll have to get her a decent broom too.' Oliver muttered, now walking around Lily, muttering things under his breath.

'I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can't bend the first-year rule. Heaven knows, we need a better team than last year. Flattened in that last match by Slytherin, I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks..."

"Strange how he likes you, it may be the fact you look so much like your mother, they were friends in their Hogwarts years." Lily's eyes went wide. She was right!

Professor McGonagall peered sternly over her glasses at Harry, then at her.

"I want to hear you're training hard, Potters, or I may change my mind about punishing you."

Then she suddenly smiled.

"Your father would have been proud," she said. "He was an excellent Quidditch player himself." Lily's eyes went even wider, if that was possible.

"You're joking."

It was dinnertime. Harry had just finished telling Ron what had happened when Lily and Harry left the grounds with Professor McGonagall. Ron had a piece of steak and kidney pie halfway to his mouth, but he'd forgotten all about it.

"Seeker? Chaser?" he said. "But first years never - you must be the youngest house player-' ' in about a century,' finished Harry, shoveling pie into his mouth. 'And in a nine hundred years.' Lily added, shovelling mash potato in her mouth as well. She felt particularly hungry after the excitement of the afternoon. "Wood told us."

Ron was so amazed, so impressed, he just sat and gaped at Harry and Lily.

"We start training next week," continued Lily. "Only don't tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret." 'And it's weird how Snape was friends with your mum.' Ron added. 'Definitely.' Harry agreed, whilst she stared blankly at the wall.

Fred and George Weasley now came into the hall, spotted Harry and Lily, and hurried over.

"Well done," said George in a low voice. "Wood told us. We're on the team too - Beaters." 'Doesn't surprise me either.' She muttered, eyeing the twins off. 'Thanks.' George said brightly, whilst Fred rolled his eyes.

"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch cup for sure this year," grinned Fred. "We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Harry, Lily, Wood was almost skipping when he told us."

"Anyway, we've got to go, Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school."

"Bet it's that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you."

Fred and George had hardly disappeared when someone far less welcome turned up: Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. "Great.' Groaned Lily.

"Having your last meal, Potters? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?"

"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," said Harry coolly. There was of course nothing at all little about Crabbe and Goyle, but as the High Table was full of teachers, neither of them could do more than crack their knuckles and scowl. Well, Lily did, but she was a favourite to every teacher, mainly because she reminded them of her mother in every aspect apart from being on the quidditch team; that came from Lily and Harry's father. Malfoy gave her fist a look, and tenderly touched his eye, which had healed up completely thanks to Madam Pomfrey, the school medi-witch. 'What, afraid of a little girl?' She taunted.

"I'd take you on anytime on my own," said Malfoy. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only - no contact. What's the matter? Never he heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"

"Of course she has," said Ron, wheeling around. "I'm her second, who's yours?"

Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up.

"Crabbe," he said. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked."

When Malfoy had gone, Harry and Lily looked at each other. "What is a wizard's duel?" asked Harry. "And what do you mean, you're my second?" added Lily.

"Well, a second's there to take over if you die," said Ron casually, getting started at last on his cold pie. Catching the look on Lily's face, he added quickly, "But people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. The most you and Malfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway." 'yeah right.' Lily snorted.

"And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?"

"Throw it away and punch him on the nose," Ron suggested. 'Good idea.' Lily said brightly. "Excuse me."

The three of them looked up. It was Hermione Granger.

"Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" said Ron.

Hermione ignored him and spoke to Lily.

"I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying -"

"Bet you could," Ron muttered.

"-and you mustn't go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you." 'is it now?' Lily asked aloud.

"And it's really none of your business," said Harry.

"Good-bye," said Lily.

All the same, it wasn't what you'd call the perfect end to the day, Lily thought, as she lay awake much later listening to Lavender and Parvati falling asleep. She was pretty sure Hermione had already fallen asleep, due to the fact her curtains were closed around her bed. Ron had spent all evening giving her advice such as "If he tries to curse you, you'd better dodge it, because I can't remember how to block them." There was a very good chance they were going to get caught by Filch or Mrs. Norris, and Lily felt she was pushing her luck, breaking another school rule today. On the other hand, Malfoys sneering face kept looming up out of the darkness - this was her big chance to beat Malfoy face-to-face. She couldn't miss it. She wouldn't miss it.

"Half-past eleven," Lily muttered at last, "I'd better go."

She pulled on her green dressing-gown, picked up her wand, and crept silently across the tower room, down the spiral staircase, and into the Gryffindor common room. A few embers were still glowing in the fireplace, turning all the armchairs into hunched black shadows. Harry and Ron were coming down the same time as her. She gave a thumbs up. They had almost reached the portrait hole when a voice spoke from the chair nearest them, "I can't believe you're going to do this, Harry, Lily."

A lamp flickered on. It was Hermione Granger, wearing a pink dressing-gown and a frown. "I thought you were in bed!" Lily groaned.

"You!" said Ron furiously. "Go back to bed!"

"I almost told your brother," Hermione snapped, "Percy - he's a prefect, he'd put a stop to this." 'I don't think he would, I'm considered his friend!' Lily snapped back.

She couldn't believe anyone could be so interfering.

"Come on," She said to Ron and Harry. Harry pushed open the portrait of the Fat Lady and climbed through the hole.

Hermione wasn't going to give up that easily. She followed Ron through the portrait hole, hissing at them like an angry goose.

"Don't you care about Gryffindor, do you only care about yourselves? I don't want Slytherin to win the house cup, and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells." "Your not the only one who gets points. I'm the one that gets Points from Snape!' Lily snapped again.

"Go away." Ron groaned. "All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow, you're so -"

But what they were, they didn't find out. Hermione had turned to the portrait of the Fat Lady to get back inside and found herself facing an empty painting. The Fat Lady had gone on a night time visit and Hermione was locked out of Gryffindor tower.

"Now what am I going to do?" she asked shrilly "That's your problem," said Ron. "We've got to go, were going to be late."

They hadn't even reached the end of the corridor when Hermione caught up with them.

"I'm coming with you," she said. 'My god!" Lily let out an exasperated sigh.

"You are not."

"D'you think I'm going to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch me? If he finds all three of us I'll tell him the truth, that I was trying to stop you, and you can back me up."

"You've got some nerve -" said Ron loudly.

"Shut up, both of you!" said Harry sharply. I heard something."

It was a sort of snuffling. "Mrs. Norris?" breathed Ron, squinting through the dark.

It wasn't Mrs. Norris. It was Neville. He was curled up on the floor, fast asleep, but jerked suddenly awake as they crept nearer.

"Thank goodness you found me! I've been out here for hours, I couldn't remember the new password to get in to bed."

"Keep your voice down, Neville. The password's 'Pig snout' but it won't help you now, the Fat Lady's gone off somewhere." Lily rolled her eyes.

"How's your arm?" She asked.

"Fine," said Neville, showing them. "Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute."

"Good - well, look, Neville, we've got to be somewhere, we'll see you later -"

"Don't leave me!" said Neville, scrambling to his feet, "I don't want to stay here alone, the Bloody Baron's been past twice already."

Ron looked at his watch and then glared furiously at Hermione and Neville.

"If either of you get us caught, I'll never rest until I've learned that Curse of the Bogies Quirrell told us about, and used it on you." Lily sniggered at Ron's comment, knowing he probably would do it.

Hermione opened her mouth, perhaps to tell Ron exactly how to use the Curse of the Bogies, but Harry hissed at her to be quiet and beckoned them all forward.

They flitted along corridors striped with bars of moonlight from the high windows. At every turn Lily expected to run into Filch or Mrs. Norris, but they were lucky. They sped up a staircase to the third floor and tiptoed toward the trophy room.

Malfoy and Crabbe weren't there yet. The crystal trophy cases glimmered where the moonlight caught them. Cups, shields, plates, and statues winked silver and gold in the darkness. They edged along the walls, keeping their eyes on the doors at either end of the room. Lily took out her wand in case Malfoy leapt in and started at once. The minutes crept by. "Hey, this has Dad's name on it.' Lily whispered, wide-eyed. There was a gold trophy-shield, with a plaque for each of the teams player. One read ' _James Potter:Chaser.'_ On it. 'Quidditch cup...' Harry trailed off. The Potter twins shared a glance.

"He's late, maybe he's chickened out," Ron whispered.

Then a noise in the next room made them jump. Lily had only just raised her wand when they heard someone speak -and it wasn't Malfoy.

"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."

It was Filch speaking to Mrs. Norris. Horror-struck, Lily waved madly at the other four to follow her as quickly as possible; they scurried silently toward the door, away from Filch's voice. Neville's robes had barely whipped round the corner when they heard Filch enter the trophy room.

"They're in here somewhere," they heard him mutter, "Probably hiding."

"This way!" Harry mouthed to the others and, petrified, they began to creep down a long gallery full of suits of armour. They could hear Filch getting nearer. Neville suddenly let out a frightened squeak and broke into a run -he tripped, grabbed Ron around the waist, and the pair of them toppled right into a suit of armour. Lily let out a long strea, of swear words that would have made the Weasley twins themselves raise their eyebrows.

The clanging and crashing were enough to wake the whole castle.

"RUN!" Harry yelled, and the five of them sprinted down the hall, not looking back to see whether Filch was following - they swung around the doorpost and galloped down one corridor then another, Harry in the lead, without any idea where they were or where they were going - they ripped through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passageway, hurtled along it and came out near their Charms classroom, which they knew was miles from the trophy room.

"I think we've lost him," Lily panted, leaning against the cold wall and wiping her forehead. Neville was bent double, wheezing and spluttering.

'I - told -you," Hermione gasped, clutching at the stitch in her chest, "I - told - you." 'Shut-Up!' Lily moaned, trying desperately to catch her breath.

"We've got to get back to Gryffindor tower," said Ron, "quickly as possible."

"Malfoy tricked you," Hermione said to Lily. "You realize that, don't you? He was never going to meet you - Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room, Malfoy must have tipped him off."

Lily thought she was probably right, but she wasn't going to tell Hermione that; They'd never hear the end of it.

"Let's go."

It wasn't going to be that simple. They hadn't gone more than a dozen paces when a doorknob rattled and something came shooting out of a classroom in front of them.

It was Peeves. He caught sight of them and gave a squeal of delight.

"Shut up, Peeves - please - you'll get us thrown out."

Peeves cackled.

"Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."

"Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please."

"Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves in a saintly voice, but his eyes glittered wickedly. "It's for your own good, you know."

"Get out of the way," snapped Ron, taking a swipe at Peeves. This was a big mistake.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves bellowed, "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR"

Ducking under Peeves, they ran for their lives, right to the end of the corridor where they slammed into a door - and it was locked.

"This is it!" Ron moaned, as they pushed helplessly at the door, "We're done for! This is the end!" They could hear footsteps, Filch running as fast as he could toward Peeves's shouts.

"Oh, move over," Hermione snarled. She grabbed Lily's wand ("Hands off!") tapped the lock, and whispered, 'Alohomora!"

The lock clicked and the door swung open - they piled through it, shut it quickly, and pressed their ears against it, listening.

"Which way did they go, Peeves?" Filch was saying. "Quick, tell me."

"Say 'please."'

"Don't mess with me, Peeves, now where did they go?"

"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," said Peeves in his annoying singsong voice.

"All right -please."

"NOTHING! Ha haaa! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha ha! Haaaaaa!" And they heard the sound of Peeves whooshing away and Filch cursing in rage.

"He thinks this door is locked," Harry whispered. "I think we'll be okay - get off, Neville!" For Neville had been tugging on the sleeve of Harry's dressing-gown for the last minute. "What?"

Lily turned around - and saw, quite clearly, what. For a moment, she was sure she'd walked into a nightmare - this was too much, on top of everything that had happened so far.

They weren't in a room, as she had supposed. They were in a corridor. The forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they knew why it was forbidden.

They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog that filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. It had three heads. Three pairs of rolling, mad eyes; three noses, twitching and quivering in their direction; three drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs.

It was standing quite still, all six eyes staring at them, and Harry knew that the only reason they weren't already dead was that their sudden appearance had taken it by surprise, but it was quickly getting over that, there was no mistaking what those thunderous growls meant.

Lily groped Blindly for the doorknob - between Filch and death, she'd take Filch.

They fell backward - Lily slammed the door shut, and they ran, they almost flew, back down the corridor. Filch must have hurried off to look for them somewhere else, because they didn't see him anywhere, but they hardly cared - all they wanted to do was put as much space as possible between them and that monster. They didn't stop running until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor.

"Where on earth have you all been?" she asked, looking at their bathrobes hanging off their shoulders and their flushed, sweaty faces.

"Never mind that - pig snout, pig snout," panted Harry, and the portrait swung forward. The five scrambled into the common room and collapsed, trembling, into armchairs.

It was a while before any of them said anything. Neville, indeed, looked as if he'd never speak again.

"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" said Ron finally. "If any dog needs exercise, that one does."

Hermione had got both her breath and her bad temper back again. "You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" she snapped. "Didn't you see what it was standing on.

"The floor?" Harry suggested. "I wasn't looking at its feet, I was too busy with its heads." "Yeah, It had three of them if you didn't notice!' Lily threw her hands up in the air.

"No, not the floor. It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something."

She stood up, glaring at them.

"I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed - or worse, expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed." "Well, you didn't have to join us!" Lily snapped.

Ron stared after her, his mouth open.

"No, we don't mind," he said. "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you." Lily raised her eyebrows in an agreeing manor.

But Hermione had given Lily and Harry something else to think about as he climbed back into bed. The dog was guarding something... What had Hagrid said? Gringotts was the safest place in the world for something you wanted to hide - except perhaps Hogwarts.

It looked as though Lily had found out where the grubby little package from vault seven hundred and thirteen was.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5-

Malfoy couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that Lily, Harry and Ron were all still at Hogwarts the next day, looking tired but perfectly cheerful. Indeed, by the next morning the trio thought that meeting the three-headed dog had been an excellent adventure, and they were quite keen to have another one. In the meantime, Lily and Harry filled Ron in on their thoughts about the package that seemed to have been moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts, and they spent a lot of time wondering what could possibly need such heavy protection. "It's either really valuable or really dangerous," said Ron. "Or both," said Harry. "Or both.' Lily agreed.

But as all they knew for sure about the mysterious object was that it was about two inches long, they didn't have much chance of guessing what it was without further clues.

Neither Neville nor Hermione showed the slightest interest in what lay underneath the dog and the trapdoor. All Neville cared about was never going near the dog again.

Hermione was now refusing to speak to Lily, Harry and Ron, but she was such a bossy know-it-all that they saw this as an added bonus (Lily had gone back to square one and now couldn't stand the bushy-haired girl. Again). All they really wanted now was a way of getting back at Malfoy, and to their great delight, just such a thing arrived in the mail about a week later.

As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by long, two thin package carried by six large screech owls each. Lily was just as interested as everyone else to see what was in this large parcel, and was amazed when the owls soared down and dropped one right in front of her, the other one went to Harry, knocking his bacon to the floor. They had hardly fluttered out of the way when another owl dropped a letter on top of the parcels.

Lily ripped open the letter first, which was lucky, because it said:

 _DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE._

 _It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your first training session. You are lucky your his favourite student._

 _Professor McGonagall_

Lily had difficulty hiding her glee, but then- "Wait, what? I'm his favourite student?' Lily asked aloud, handing the note to Harry to read, who had gotten one similar. "I think she means Snape.' Ron pointed out. Lily glanced over at the Head table, and spied Snape. He had a slight smile on his face, which disappeared as soon as Lily had gotten to see it. "That's the most anyone's seen Snape smile.' Ron muttered, before he read the letter.

"A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously. "I've never even touched one."

They left the hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomsticks in private before their first class, but halfway across the entrance hall they found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized Harry's package and felt it.

"That's a broomstick," he said, throwing it back to Harry with a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face. "You'll be in for it this time, Potters, first years aren't allowed them."

Ron couldn't resist it.

"It's not any old broomstick," he said smugly, "It's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?" Ron grinned at Harry. "Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus."

"What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle," Malfoy snapped back. "I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig."

Before Ron could answer, Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow.

"Not arguing, I hope, boys? Oh and Miss Potter." he squeaked.

"Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor," said Malfoy quickly.

"Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick, beaming at Lily and Harry. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Mr and Miss Potter. And what model is it?"

"A Nimbus Two Thousand, sir," Lily smirked, fighting not to laugh at the look of horror on Malfoy's face. "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that we've got them," she added.

The three headed upstairs, smothering their laughter at Malfoy's obvious rage and confusion. "Well, it's true," Harry chortled as they reached the top of the marble staircase, "If he hadn't stolen Neville's Rememberall, we wouln't be on the team..."

"So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" came an angry voice from just behind them. Hermione was stomping up the stairs, looking disapprovingly at the packages in their hands.

"I thought you weren't speaking to us?" said Harry.

"Yes, don't stop now," said Ron, "it's doing us so much good." Lily added

Hermione marched away with her nose in the air. 'stuck-up ponce.' Lily muttered under her breath. Ron choked back a snigger.

Lily had a lot of trouble keeping her mind on her lessons that day. It kept wandering up to the dormitory where her new broomstick was lying under her bed, or straying off to the Quidditch field where she'd be learning to play that night. She bolted her dinner that evening without noticing what she was eating, and then rushed upstairs with Harry and Ron to unwrap the Nimbus Two Thousands at last.

"Wow," Ron sighed, as Lily's broomstick rolled onto Harry's bedspread.

Even Harry and Lily, who knew nothing about the different brooms, thought it looked wonderful. Sleek and shiny, with a mahogany handle, it had a long tail of neat, straight twigs and Nimbus Two Thousand written in gold near the top.

As seven o'clock drew nearer, Harry and Lily left the castle and set off in the dusk toward the Quidditch field. She had never been inside the stadium before. Hundreds of seats were raised in stands around the field so that the spectators were high enough to see what was going on. At either end of the field were three golden poles with hoops on the end. They reminded Lily of the little plastic sticks Muggle children blew bubbles through, except that they were fifty feet high.

Too eager to fly again to wait for Wood, Her and Harry mounted their broomsticks and kicked off from the ground. What a feeling - she swooped in and out of the goal posts and then sped up and down the field. The Nimbus Two Thousand turned wherever she wanted at her lightest touch.

"Hey, Potters, come down!'

Oliver Wood had arrived, carrying a large wooden crate under his arm. Harry landed next to him, and Lily on his other side.

"Very nice," said Wood, his eyes glinting. "I see what McGonagall meant... you really are naturals. I'm just going to teach you the rules this evening, then you'll be joining team practice three times a week."

He opened the crate. Inside were four different-sized balls.

"Right," said Wood. "Now, Quidditch is easy enough to understand, even if it's not too easy to play. There are seven players on each side. Three of them are called Chasers."

"Three Chasers," Lily repeated, as Wood took out a bright red ball about the size of a soccer ball. "That's me." Wood nodded.

"This ball's called the Quaffle," said Wood. "The Chasers throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through one of the hoops to score a goal. Ten points every time the Quaffle goes through one of the hoops. Follow me?"

"The Chasers throw the Quaffle and put it through the hoops to score," Lily and Harry recited. "So - that's sort of like basketball on broomsticks with six hoops, isn't it?"

"What's basketball?" said Wood curiously. "Never mind," said Lily quickly.

"Now, there's another player on each side who's called the Keeper -I'm Keeper for Gryffindor. I have to fly around our hoops and stop the other team from scoring."

"Three Chasers, one Keeper," Lily and Harry said in unison, who were determined to remember it all. "And they play with the Quaffle. Okay, got that. So what are they for?" He pointed at the three balls left inside the box.

"I'll show you now," said Wood. "Take this."

He handed Harry and Lily a small club each, a bit like a short baseball bat.

"I'm going to show you what the Bludgers do," Wood said. "These two are the Bludgers."

He showed Lily two identical balls, jet black and slightly smaller than the red Quaffle. She noticed that they seemed to be straining to escape the straps holding them inside the box.

"Stand back," Wood warned them. He bent down and freed one of the Bludgers.

At once, the black ball rose high in the air and then pelted straight at Lily's face. Lily swung at it with the bat to stop it from breaking her nose, and sent it zigzagging away into the air - it zoomed around their heads before coming back and racing towards Harry, who swung his bat, sending the bludger flying around a hoop, and then shot at Wood, who dived on top of it and managed to pin it to the ground.

"See?" Wood panted, forcing the struggling Bludger back into the crate and strapping it down safely. "The Bludgers rocket around, trying to knock players off their brooms. That's why you have two Beaters on each team - the Weasley twins are ours - it's their job to protect their side from the Bludgers and try and knock them toward the other team. So - think you've got all that?"

"Three Chasers try and score with the Quaffle; the Keeper guards the goal posts; the Beaters keep the Bludgers away from their team," Lily reeled off. Harry nodded in agreement.

"Very good," said Wood.

"Er - have the Bludgers ever killed anyone?" Harry asked, hoping he sounded offhand.

"Never at Hogwarts. We've had a couple of broken jaws but nothing worse than that. Now, the last member of the team is the

Seeker. That's you. And you don't have to worry about the Quaffle or the Bludgers unless they crack my head open."

"Don't worry, the Weasleys are more than a match for the Bludgers - I mean, they're like a pair of human Bludgers themselves."

Wood reached into the crate and took out the fourth and last ball. Compared with the Quaffle and the Bludgers, it was tiny, about the size of a large walnut. It was bright gold and had little fluttering silver wings.

"This," said Wood, "is the Golden Snitch, and it's the most important ball of the lot. It's very hard to catch because it's so fast and difficult to see. It's the Seeker's job to catch it. You've got to weave in and out of the Chasers, Beaters, Bludgers, and Quaffle to get it before the other team's Seeker, because whichever Seeker catches the Snitch wins his team an extra hundred and fifty points, so they nearly always win. That's why Seekers get fouled so much. A game of Quidditch only ends when the Snitch is caught, so it can go on for ages - I think the record is three months, they had to keep bringing on substitutes so the players could get some sleep.

"Well, that's it - any questions?"

Lily and Harry shook there head. She understood what she had to do all right, it was doing it that was going to be the problem.

"We won't practice with the Snitch yet," said Wood, carefully shutting it back inside the crate, "it's too dark, we might lose it. Let's try you out with a few of these."

He pulled a bag of ordinary golf balls out of his pocket and a few minutes later, he and Harry were up in the air, Wood throwing the golf balls as hard as he could in every direction for Harry to catch.

Harry didn't miss a single one, and Wood was delighted, and Lily proud. After half an hour, Lily and Harry switched places, and she shot Quaffle after Quaffle at Wood. Half an hour later, and night had really fallen and they couldn't carry on. 'Your definitely better than our other chasers, and their amazing.' Wood admitted. Lily turned bright pink at the compliment. 'I'm not I'm not...' She had tried to reason.

"That Quidditch cup'll have our name on it this year," said Wood happily as they trudged back up to the castle. "I wouldn't be surprised if you turn out better than Charlie Weasley, and he could have played for England if he hadn't gone off chasing dragons." Wood added to Harry, who looked delighted.

Perhaps it was because she was now so busy, what with Quidditch practice three evenings a week on top of all her homework, but Lily could hardly believe it when she realized that she and Harry had already been at Hogwarts two months. The castle felt more like home than Privet Drive ever had. Her lessons, too, were becoming more and more interesting now that they had mastered the basics.

On Halloween morning they woke to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors. Even better, Professor Flitwick announced in Charms that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly, something they had all been dying to try since they'd seen him make Neville's toad zoom around the classroom. Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs to practice. Harry's partner was Seamus Finnigan (which was a relief, because Neville had been trying to catch his eye), and Professor let Lily work on her own, as usual, because she worked just fine on her own. Ron, however, was to be working with Hermione Granger. It was hard to tell whether Ron or Hermione was angrier about this. She hadn't spoken to either of them since the day Harry's broomstick had arrived, Which Ron couldn't have been happier about.

"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" squeaked Professor Flitwick, perched on top of his pile of books as usual. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too - never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."

It was very difficult. Lily swished and flicked, but the feather they were supposed to be sending skyward just lay on the desktop. Next to Harry on the other hand, Seamus got so impatient that he prodded it with his wand and set fire to it - Harry had to put it out with his hat, much to the amusement of Lily, who burst into a fit of laughter.

Ron, at the next table, wasn't having much more luck.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" he shouted, waving his long arms like a windmill.

"You're saying it wrong," Lily heard Hermione snap. "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."

"You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled.

Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand, and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.

"Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!" Lily frowned. 'Wingardium Leviosa!' Lily's eyes widened as her feather begin to drift into the air. using her wand, she weaved it over to professor Flitwick, who beamed brightly at her.

Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of the class. "It's no wonder no one can stand her," he said to Harry and Lily as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "she's a nightmare, honestly. "

Someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. It was Hermione. Harry and Lily caught a glimpse of her face - and was startled to see that she was in tears.

"I think she heard you."

"So?" said Ron, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she's got no friends." Lily felt slightly guilty, as she knew Harry did, but Ron did have a point.

Hermione didn't turn up for the next class and wasn't seen all afternoon. On their way down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, Lily overheard Parvati Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls' bathroom and wanted to be left alone. Ron looked still more awkward at this, but a moment later they had entered the Great Hall, where the Halloween decorations put Hermione out of their minds.

A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. The feast appeared suddenly on the golden plates, as it had at the start-of-term banquet.

Lily was just helping himself to a baked potato and ham when Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall, his turban askew and terror on his face. Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped, "Troll - in the dungeons - thought you ought to know."

He then sank to the floor in a dead faint.

There was an uproar. It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Professor Dumbledore's wand to bring silence.

"Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"

Percy was in his element, which, despite the timing, made Lily smile brightly. She liked to think Percy a friend. One who she liked to flirt with, but she liked him just as a friend.

"Follow me! Stick together, first years! No need to fear the troll if you follow my orders! Stay close behind me, now. Make way, first years coming through! Excuse me, I'm a prefect!"

"How could a troll get in?" Harry asked as they climbed the stairs.

"Don't ask me, they're supposed to be really stupid," said Ron. "Maybe Peeves let it in for a Halloween joke." "I don't think so...' Lily bit her lip.

They passed different groups of people hurrying in different directions. As they jostled their way through a crowd of confused Hufflepuffs, Harry suddenly grabbed Ron's arm.

"I've just thought - Hermione."

"What about her?"

"She doesn't know about the troll."

Ron bit his lip. Lily's eyes widened.

"Oh, all right," he snapped. "But Percy'd better not see us."

Ducking down, they joined the Hufflepuffs going the other way, slipped down a deserted side corridor, and hurried off toward the girls' bathroom. They had just turned the corner when they heard quick footsteps behind them.

"Percy!" hissed Ron, pulling Harry and Lily behind a large stone griffin.

Peering around it, however, they saw not Percy but Snape. He crossed the corridor and disappeared from view.

"What's he doing?" Harry whispered. "Why isn't he down in the dungeons with the rest of the teachers?"

"Search me."

Quietly as possible, they crept along the next corridor after Snape's fading footsteps.

"He's heading for the third floor," Harry said, but Ron held up his hand.

"Can you smell something?"

Lily sniffed and a foul stench reached her nostrils, a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilet no one seems to clean. She gagged on the air.

And then they heard it - a low grunting, and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. Ron pointed - at the end of a passage to the left, something huge was moving toward them. They shrank into the shadows and watched as it emerged into a patch of moonlight.

It was a horrible sight. Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull, granite gray, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. The smell coming from it was incredible. It was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long.

The troll stopped next to a doorway and peered inside. It waggled its long ears, making up its tiny mind, then slouched slowly into the room.

"The keys in the lock," Harry muttered. "We could lock it in."

"Good idea," said Ron nervously.

They edged toward the open door, mouths dry, praying the troll wasn't about to come out of it. With one great leap, Harry managed to grab the key, slam the door, and lock it.

'Yes!" "No! you morons!" Lily shrieked.

Flushed with their victory, they started to run back up the passage, but as they reached the corner they heard something that made their hearts stop - a high, petrified scream - and it was coming from the chamber they'd just chained up.

"Oh, no," said Ron, pale as the Bloody Baron.

"It's the girls' bathroom!" Harry gasped.

"Hermione!" they said together. Lily rolled her eyes. They can be quite thick sometimes, Lily thought.

It was the last thing they wanted to do, but what choice did they have? Wheeling around, they sprinted back to the door and turned the key, fumbling in their panic. Lily pulled the door open and they ran inside.

Hermione Granger was shrinking against the wall opposite, looking as if she was about to faint. The troll was advancing on her, knocking the sinks off the walls as it went.

"Confuse it!" Harry said desperately to Ron, and, seizing a tap, he threw it as hard as he could against the wall. Lily began picking up chunks of plaster and tile, and began lodging them at the troll.

The troll stopped a few feet from Hermione. It lumbered around, blinking stupidly, to see what had made the noise. Its mean little eyes saw Harry. It hesitated, then made for him instead, lifting its club as it went.

"Oy, pea-brain!" yelled Ron from the other side of the chamber, and he threw a metal pipe at it. The troll didn't even seem to notice the pipe hitting its shoulder, but it heard the yell and paused again, turning its ugly snout toward Ron instead, giving Harry time to run around it.

"Come on, run, run!" Lily yelled at Hermione, trying to pull her toward the door, but she couldn't move, she was still flat against the wall, her mouth open with terror. 'My god woman! Move your butt!' Lily shouted.

The shouting and the echoes seemed to be driving the troll berserk. It roared again and started toward Ron, who was nearest and had no way to escape.

Harry then did something that was both very brave and very stupid, and made Lily scream with fright: He took a great running jump and managed to fasten his arms around the troll's neck from behind. The troll couldn't feel Harry hanging there, but even a troll will notice if you stick a long bit of wood up its nose, and Harry's wand had still been in his hand when he'd jumped - it had gone straight up one of the troll's nostrils.

Howling with pain, the troll twisted and flailed its club, with Harry clinging on for dear life; any second, the troll was going to rip him off or catch him a terrible blow with the club.

Hermione had sunk to the floor in fright; Ron pulled out his own wand - not knowing what he was going to do he heard himself cry the first spell that came into his head: "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The club flew suddenly out of the troll's hand, rose high, high up into the air, turned slowly over - and dropped, with a sickening crack, onto its owner's head. The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face, with a thud that made the whole room tremble.

Harry got to his feet. He was shaking and out of breath. Ron was standing there with his wand still raised, staring at what he had done. Lily held a hand to her heart.

It was Hermione who spoke first.

"Is it - dead?"

I don't think so," said Harry, I think it's just been knocked out." Lily clarified.

He bent down and pulled his wand out of the troll's nose. It was covered in what looked like lumpy gray glue. 'Urgh!" Lily gagged.

"Urgh - troll boogers."

He wiped it on the troll's trousers.

A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made the three of them look up. They hadn't realized what a racket they had been making, but of course, someone downstairs must have heard the crashes and the troll's roars. A moment later, Professor McGonagall had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape, who looked terrible with fright, and with Quirrell bringing up the rear. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper, and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart.

Snape bent over the troll. Professor McGonagall was looking at the four students. Lily had never seen her look so angry. Her lips were white. Hopes of winning fifty points for Gryffindor faded quickly from Lily's mind.

"What on earth were you thinking of?" said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. Harry looked at Ron, who was still standing with his wand in the air. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"

Snape gave Lily a swift, piercing look. Harry looked at the floor. 'What we were thinking?! What were you thinking, letting that-that _thing,_ run around the castle?!' Lily shrieked, jabbing a finger towards McGonagall, who seemed to get even more angrier.

Hermione, in a small voice spoke up.

"Please, Professor McGonagall - they were looking for me."

"Miss Granger!"

Hermione had managed to get to her feet at last.

"I went looking for the troll because I - I thought I could deal with it on my own - you know, because I've read all about them."

Ron dropped his wand. Hermione Granger, telling a downright lie to a teacher? "If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Harry stuck his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. And Lily helped distract it. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."

Harry and Ron tried to look as though this story wasn't new to them, whilst Lily raised her eyebrows, making Snape raise his.

"Well - in that case..." said Professor McGonagall, staring at the four of them, "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"

Hermione hung her head. Lily was speechless. Hermione was the last person to do anything against the rules, and here she was, pretending she had, to get them out of trouble. It was as if Snape had started handing out sweets. Well, he probably would, to me, Lily thought amusedly.

"Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," said Professor McGonagall. "I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses."

Hermione left.

Professor McGonagall turned to Lily, Harry and Ron.

"Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go." As Lily left, She could have sworn she had heard Snape mutter "Stupid little girls.'

They hurried out of the chamber and didn't speak at all until they had climbed two floors up. It was a relief to be away from the smell of the troll, quite apart from anything else.

"We should have gotten more than ten points," Ron grumbled.

"Five, you mean, once she's taken off Hermione's."

"Good of her to get us out of trouble like that," Ron admitted. "Mind you, we did save her."

"She might not have needed saving if you hadn't locked the thing in with her," Lily reminded him.

They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Pig snout," they said and entered.

The common room was packed and noisy. Everyone was eating the food that had been sent up. Hermione, however, stood alone by the door, waiting for them. There was a very embarrassed pause. Then, none of them looking at each other, they all said "Thanks," and hurried off to get plates.

But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.

'Well, where have you been?' "Gaaahh!' Lily spat out her pumpkin juice. wiping her mouth with the sleeves of her robes, she said "Do you mind? I swear to god you two pop up everwhere like that!" Lily clicked her fingers to emphasise her point. The Weasley twins wore matching grins. 'Yes we must, its simply too much fun. Anyways, have you seen Ron? Percy's going to have a cow.' Fred rolled his eyes. 'Yes, Because he cares.' Lily rolled her eyes to match. 'Ah, I forgot, you actually like Percy, don't you?' George asked. 'Yes, I do, Because he's a good person.' Lily said stiffly, before walking away. She honestly liked the twins. Heck, she even loved them, But they took their own brother for granted. No wonder why Percy felt so alone in his family.

Lily spied Percy mothering over Ron, and let a small smile slip.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6-

As they entered November, the weather turned very cold. The mountains around the school became icy grey and the lake like chilled steel. Every morning the ground was covered in frost. Hagrid could be seen from the upstairs windows defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch field, bundled up in a long moleskin overcoat, rabbit fur gloves, and enormous beaverskin boots.

The Quidditch season had begun. On Saturday, Lily and Harry would be playing in their first match after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, they would move up into second place in the house championship.

Hardly anyone had seen Lily or her brother play because Wood had decided that, as their secret weapon, Lily and Harry should be kept, well, secret. But the news that she was playing Chaser, and that Harry was playing seeker had leaked out somehow, and Lily didn't know which was worse - people telling her she'd be brilliant or people telling her they'd be running around underneath her holding a mattress.

It was really lucky that Lily and Harry now had Hermione as a friend, even if she still lacked tact sometimes. She didn't know how she'd have gotten through all her homework without her, what with all the last-minute Quidditch practice Wood was making them do. She had also lent Her and Harry Quidditch Through the Ages, which turned out to be a very interesting read.

Lily had told Harry that there were seven hundred ways of committing a Quidditch foul and that all of them had happened during a World Cup match in 1473; that Seekers were usually the smallest and fastest players, and that most serious Quidditch accidents seemed to happen to them; that although people rarely died playing Quidditch, referees had been known to vanish and turn up months later in the Sahara Desert.

Hermione had become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules since The Potter twins and Ron had saved her from the mountain troll, and she was much nicer for it. The day before Lily and Harry's first Quidditch match the four of them were out in the freezing courtyard during break, and she had conjured them up a bright blue fire that could be carried around in a jam jar. They were standing with their backs to it, getting warm, when Snape crossed the yard. Lily noticed at once that Snape was limping.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione moved closer together to block the fire from view; they were sure it wouldn't be allowed, Though Lily didn't move. Unfortunately, something about their guilty faces caught Snape's eye. He limped over. He hadn't seen the fire, but he seemed to be looking for a reason to tell them off anyway. "What's wrong with your leg, sir?' Lily asked, genuinely caring. 'Nothing of your concern.' He glared and turned back around to Harry.

"What's that you've got there, Potter?"

It was Quidditch Through the Ages. Harry showed him.

"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said Snape. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor." Lily sighed. 'You have got to be kidding me right?' She asked Snape. He just sneered and walked away.

"He's just made that rule up," Harry muttered angrily as Snape limped away. "Wonder what's wrong with his leg?"

"Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him," said Ron bitterly. 'It would have to be, if he's limping like that.' Lily agreed.

The Gryffindor common room was very noisy that evening. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat together next to a window, whilst Lily lolled about on the floor. Hermione was checking Harry and Ron's Charms homework for them, whilst Lily hummed quietly to herself. She found it amusing how Hermione would never let them copy ("How will you learn?"), but by asking her to read it through, they got the right answers anyway.

Lily knew Harry felt restless, she did too. They both wanted Quidditch Through the Ages back, to take their minds off the nerves about tomorrow. Why should she be afraid of Snape? He'd been pretty decent to her. Getting up, she told Ron, Harry and Hermione she was going to ask Snape if she could have it.

"Better you than me," they said together, but Harry stood up. 'I'll come with you.' Lily offered him a tight smile. Lily had an idea that Snape wouldn't refuse if there were other teachers listening.

She made her way down to the staffroom with Harry and knocked. There was no answer. She knocked again. Nothing.

Perhaps Snape had left the book in there? It was worth a try. Harry pushed the door ajar and peered inside - and a horrible scene met the Twins eyes.

Snape and Filch were inside, alone. Snape was holding his robes above his knees. One of his legs was bloody and mangled. Filch was handing Snape bandages.

"Blasted thing," Snape was saying. "How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?"

Lily tried to shut the door quietly, but -

"POTTERS!"

"You might want to try Murtlap Essence!" . Lily blurted out

Snape's face had been twisted with fury as he dropped his robes quickly to hide his leg. Harry gulped. Lily might not have been scared of Snape, but he didn't want to be expelled or something. Snape seemed like the sort of person to do that sort of thing, considering he was a Slytherin.

"I just wondered if we could have our book back."

"GET OUT! OUT!" And with that, Lily slammed the door closed, pulling Harry with her.

Lily and Harry left, before Snape could take any more points from Gryffindor. They sprinted back upstairs.

"Did you get it?" Ron asked as Harry and Lily joined them. "What's the matter?"

In a low whisper, Harry told them what he'd seen, with Lily adding parts in that he missed here and there.

"You know what this means?" he said breathlessly. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Halloween! That's where he was going when we saw him - he's after whatever it's guarding! And I'd bet my broomstick he let that troll in, to make a diversion!"

Hermione's eyes were wide.

"No - he wouldn't, she said. "I know he's not very nice, but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe."

"Honestly, Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something," snapped Ron. "I'm with Harry. I wouldn't put anything past Snape. But what's he after? What's that dog guarding?"

"No! Snape wouldn't, I know he wouldn't. I don't know how, but I do.' Lily said loudly, before she stomped up the staircase to the girls dormitorys.

She went to bed with her head buzzing with the same question. Lavender was snoring loudly (Perfect blackmail material!), but Lily couldn't sleep. She tried to empty her mind - she needed to sleep, she had to, she had her very first Quidditch match in a few hours - but the expression on Snape's face when Harry and herself had seen his leg wasn't easy to forget. To Harry it was murderous, scary even, But to Lily it was sort of a sadness... if it could be...

The next morning dawned very bright and cold. The Great Hall was full of the delicious smell of fried sausages and the cheer ful chatter of everyone looking forward to a good Quidditch match.

"You've got to eat some breakfast."

"I don't want anything."

"Just a bit of toast," wheedled Hermione.

"I'm not hungry."

Lily felt terrible. In an hour's time she and Harry'd be walking onto the field.

"Harry, you need your strength," said Seamus Finnigan. "Seekers are always the ones who get clobbered by the other team."

"Thanks, Seamus," said Harry, watching Seamus pile ketchup on his sausages.

"You too, Lily, Chasers get pretty banged up." Ron added. Hermione wacked him around the ear. "Not helping.' She glared fiercely.

By eleven o'clock the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars. The seats might be raised high in the air, but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes.

Ron and Hermione joined Neville, Seamus, and Dean the West Ham fan up in the top row. As a surprise for Harry and Lily, they had painted a large banner on one of the sheets Scabbers had ruined. It said 'Potters for President', and Dean, who was good at drawing, had done a large Gryffindor lion underneath. Then Hermione had performed a tricky little charm so that the paint flashed different colours.

Meanwhile, in the locker room, Lily and the rest of the team were changing into their scarlet Quidditch robes (Slytherin would be playing in green).

Wood cleared his throat for silence.

"Okay, men," he said.

"And women," Lily sniffed.

"And women," Wood agreed. "This is it."

"The big one," said Fred Weasley.

"The one we've all been waiting for," said George.

"We know Oliver's speech by heart," Fred told Lily, "We were on the team last year." Lily let out a few giggles, but still remained as nervous as ever. She knew Harry would be feeling the exact same way.

"Shut up, you two," said Wood. "This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years. We're going to win. I know it."

He glared at them all as if to say, "Or else." Lily had a feeling it did mean "Or else."

"Right. It's time. Good luck, all of you."

Lily followed Fred and George out of the locker room, standing next Angelina Johnson, a pretty, dark-skinned girl, and one of her fellow chasers, hoping her knees weren't going to give way, walked onto the field to loud cheers.

Madam Hooch was refereeing. She stood in the middle of the field waiting for the two teams, her broom in her hand.

"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," she said, once they were all gathered around her. Lily noticed that she seemed to be speaking particularly to the Slytherin Captain, Marcus Flint, a sixth year. Lily thought Flint looked as if he had some troll blood in him. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the fluttering banner high above, flashing Potter for President over the crowd. Her heart skipped, and she felt braver. Lily waved to Ron and Hermione, just as Harry was doing. she smiled at her brother, and hoped for the best.

"Mount your brooms, please."

Lily and Harry clambered onto theirs Nimbus Two Thousads.

Madam Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle.

Fifteen brooms rose up, high, high into the air. They were off.

"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor - what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too -"

"JORDAN!"

"Sorry, Professor."

The Weasley twins' friend, Lee Jordan, was doing the commentary for the match, closely watched by Professor McGonagall. Lee had a habit of being very biased, but his commentary was legendary.

"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve - back to Johnson and - no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes - Flint flying like an eagle up there - he's going to sc- no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle - that's Chaser Lily Potter of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and - OUCH - that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger - Quaffle taken by the Slytherins - that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger - sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which - nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Potter back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes - she's really flying - dodges a speeding Bludger - the goal posts are ahead - come on, now, Lily- Keeper Bletchley dives - misses - GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins.

Lily felt invincible. She had already scored her first goal. Well she would have felt invincible, if her head wasn't throbbing like she had just gotten it beaten in a bludger. Which she had. She looked around quickly, and searched the pitch for Harry. He was flying circles around the pitch, high and low.

"Budge up there, move along."

"Hagrid!"

Ron and Hermione squeezed together to give Hagrid enough space to join them.

"Bin watchin' from me hut," said Hagrid, patting a large pair of binoculars around his neck, "But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd. No sign of the Snitch yet, eh?"

"Nope," said Ron. "Harry hasn't had much to do yet, but Lily's already scored."

"Kept outta trouble, though, that's somethin'," said Hagrid, raising his binoculars and peering skyward at the speck that was Harry.

Way up above them, Lily saw Harry was still gliding over the game, squinting about for some sign of the Snitch. This was part of Wood's game plan.

"Keep out of the way until you catch sight of the Snitch," Wood had said. "We don't want you attacked before you have to be."

When Angelina had scored, Harry had done a couple of loop-the-loops, which Lily had done the same, happily spinning around and around in mid-air.

Lily couldn't help but grin. She had jut gotten another goal. Once she saw an opening for the Quaffle, she took it. And once a Bludger decided to come pelting her way, more like a cannonball than anything, but Lily dodged it quite skilfully, and Fred came chasing after it.

"All right there, Lily?" he had time to yell with a grin, as he beat the Bludger furiously toward Marcus Flint.

"Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan was saying, "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Potter, and speeds toward the - wait a moment - was that the Snitch?"

A murmur ran through the crowd as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear. Lily took her chance and sped up, catching the Quaffle and swerving back towards the goal hoops.

Harry had seen the snitch, and so had Terrence Higgs, the Slytherin Seeker-all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in midair to watch. apart from Lily. Since Flint was too busy yelling at Higgs, she scored. Again, and Again, before Flint had actually realised what she was doing.

Harry was faster than Higgs - he put on an extra spurt of speed -

WHAM! A roar of rage echoed from the Gryffindors below, and from Lily, who let out a stream of swear words - Marcus Flint had blocked Harry on purpose, and Harry's broom spun off course, Harry holding on for dear life.

"Foul!" screamed the Gryffindors. "You dirty, rotten, little piece of-!' Lily was cut off by professor McGonagall. "Miss Potter!'

Madam Hooch spoke angrily to Flint and then ordered a free shot at the goal posts for Gryffindor. But in all the confusion, of course, the Golden Snitch had disappeared from sight again.

Down in the stands, Dean Thomas was yelling, "Send him off, ref! Red card!"

"What are you talking about, Dean?" said Ron.

"Red card!" said Dean furiously. "In soccer you get shown the red card and you're out of the game!"

"But this isn't soccer, Dean," Ron reminded him.

Hagrid, however, was on Dean's side.

"They oughta change the rules. Flint coulda knocked Harry outta the air."

Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides.

"So - after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating

"Jordan!" growled Professor McGonagall.

"I mean, after that open and revolting foul

'Jordan, I'm warning you -"

"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Potter, who is on fire today, and puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."

It was as Lily dodged another Bludger, which went spinning dangerously past her head, that it happened. Her broom gave a sudden, frightening lurch. For a split second, she thought she was going to fall. She gripped the broom tightly with both her hands and knees. She'd never felt anything like that.

It happened again. It was as though the broom was trying to buck him off. But Nimbus Two Thousands did not suddenly decide to buck their riders off. Lily tried to turn back toward the Gryffindor goal- posts - xhe had half a mind to ask Wood to call time-out - and then she realized that her broom was completely out of her control. She couldn't turn it. She couldn't direct it at all. It was zigzagging through the air, and every now and then making violent swishing movements that almost unseated her.

Lee was still commentating.

"Slytherin in possession - Flint with the Quaffle - passes Spinnet - passes Johnson- hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose - only joking, Professor - Slytherins score - oh no...

The Slytherins were cheering. No one seemed to have noticed that Harry and Lily's broom was behaving strangely. It was carrying- them both slowly higher, away from the game, jerking and twitching as it went.

"Dunno what Harry an' Lily think their doing," Hagrid mumbled. He stared through his binoculars. "If I didn' know better, I'd say they'd lost control of their broom... but they can't have..."

Suddenly, people were pointing up at Lily and Harry all over the stands. Her broom had started to roll over and over, with her only just managing to hold on. Then the whole crowd gasped. Lily's broom had given a wild jerk and Lily swung off it. She was now dangling from it, holding on with only one hand.

"Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?" Seamus whispered. "No, He never blocked Lily.' Hermione shook her head.

"Can't have," Hagrid said, his voice shaking. "Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic - no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand."

At these words, Hermione seized Hagrid's binoculars, but instead of looking up at Harry or Lily, she started looking frantically at the crowd.

"What are you doing?" moaned Ron, gray-faced.

"I knew it," Hermione gasped, "Snape - look."

Ron grabbed the binoculars. Snape was in the middle of the stands opposite them. He had his eyes fixed on Harry and Lily and was muttering nonstop under his breath.

"He's doing something - jinxing the broom," said Hermione.

"What should we do?"

"Leave it to me."

Before Ron could say another word, Hermione had disappeared. Ron turned the binoculars back on Harry. His broom was vibrating so hard, it was almost impossible for him to hang on much longer, much like Lily's. The whole crowd was on its feet, watching, terrified, as the Weasleys flew up to try and pull Lily safely onto one of their brooms, but it was no good - every time they got near her, the broom would jump higher still. They dropped lower and circled beneath her and Harry, obviously hoping to catch them if either of them fell.

Marcus Flint seized the Quaffle and scored five times without anyone noticing.

"Come on, Hermione," Ron muttered desperately.

Hermione had fought her way across to the stand where Snape stood, and was now racing along the row behind him; she didn't even stop to say sorry as she knocked Professor Quirrell headfirst into the row in front. Reaching Snape, she crouched down, pulled out her wand, and whispered a few, well- chosen words. Bright blue flames shot from her wand onto the hem of Snape's robes.

It took perhaps thirty seconds for Snape to realize that he was on fire. A sudden yelp told her she had done her job. Scooping the fire off him into a little jar in her pocket, she scrambled back along the row - Snape would never know what had happened.

It was enough. Up in the air, Harry and Lily were suddenly able to clamber back on to their brooms, much to her relief.

"Neville, you can look!" Ron said. Neville had been sobbing into Hagrid's jacket for the last five minutes.

Harry was speeding toward the ground when the crowd and Lily saw him clap his hand to his mouth as though he was about to be sick - he hit the field on all fours - coughed - and something gold fell into his hand.

"I've got the Snitch!" he shouted, waving it above his head, and the game ended in complete confusion.

"He didn't catch it, he nearly swallowed it," Flint was still howling twenty minutes later, but it made no difference - Harry hadn't broken any rules and Lee Jordan was still happily shouting the results - Gryffindor had won by one hundred and seventy points to sixty. Lily and Harry heard none of this, though. They were being made a cup of strong tea back in Hagrid's hut, with Ron and Hermione.

"It was Snape," Ron was explaining, "Hermione and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you."

"Rubbish," said Hagrid, who hadn't heard a word of what had gone on next to him in the stands. "Why would Snape do somethin' like that?"

"Yes, why would he do something like that?' Lily had stiffened. She didn't know why she stuck up for Snape, or why she actually like the Potions Professor, but she did.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at one another.

"I found out something about him," Harry told Hagrid. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding."

"You think.' Lily muttered bitterly.

Hagrid dropped the teapot.

"How do you know about Fluffy?" he said.

"Fluffy?"

"It has a name?!' Lily said aghast.

"Yeah - he's mine - bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year - I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the-"

"Yes?" said Harry eagerly.

"Now, don't ask me anymore," said Hagrid gruffly. "That's top secret, that is."

"But Snape's trying to steal it."

'No he's not!"

"Rubbish," said Hagrid again. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort."

"So why did he just try and kill Lily and Harry?" cried Hermione.

The afternoon's events certainly seemed to have changed her mind about Snape.

"I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid, I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!"

"Then you'll also know that a counter-jinx requires eyes contact too!' Lily said hotly. " What about Quirrel? He was looking at me, and don't say I don't know what I saw, because I do! Everytime me and Harry are near Quirrel our scars start burning, and the pathetic, weak cover up would be perfect, if your going to try and act all innocent." Lily snapped.

"Quirrel? Are you serious, that man's even afraid of his own shadow!" Ron protested.

"I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" said Hagrid hotly. "I don' know why Harry's an Lily's broom acted like that, but Snape or Quirrell wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all three of yeh - yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel -"

"Aha!" said Harry, "so there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?"

Hagrid looked furious with himself.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7-

Christmas was coming. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze solid and the Weasley twins and Lily had been punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban. The few owls that managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver mail had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid before they could fly off again.

No one could wait for the holidays to start. While the Gryffindor common room and the Great Hall had roaring fires, the drafty corridors had become icy and a bitter wind rattled the windows in the classrooms. Worst of all were Professor Snape's classes down in the dungeons, where their breath rose in a mist before them and they kept as close as possible to their hot cauldrons. Lily had taken resort to asking professor Flitwick to teach her a heating charm, so she could charm her clothes warm, or more like hot.

"I do feel so sorry," said Draco Malfoy, one Potions class, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home."

He was looking over at Harry and Lily as he spoke. Crabbe and Goyle chuckled. 'And I feel sorry for all the stupid blonde prats, that their parents are ashamed off.' Lily had said just as calmly. However Harry, who was measuring out powdered spine of lionfish, ignored them.

Malfoy had been even more unpleasant than usual since the Quidditch match. Disgusted that the Slytherins had lost, he had tried to get everyone laughing at how a wide-mouthed tree frog would be replacing Harry as Seeker next, or how a bulged-eyed pig would be replacing Lily as the next chaser. Then he'd realized that nobody found this funny, because they were all so impressed at the way Lily and Harry had managed to stay on the bucking broomsticks.

So Malfoy, jealous and angry, had gone back to taunting her and Harry about having no proper family.

It was true that Lily and Harry weren't going back to Privet Drive for Christmas. Professor McGonagall had come around the week before, making a list of students who would be staying for the holidays, and Lily and Harry had signed up at once. She didn't feel sorry for herself at all; this would probably be the best Christmas she'd ever had. Ron and his brothers were staying, too, because Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were going to Romania to visit Charlie, So Lily was extra happy, she had been needing to talk to Percy abou this mysterious 'Nicolas Flamel'.

When they left the dungeons at the end of Potions, they found a large fir tree blocking the corridor ahead. Two enormous feet sticking out at the bottom and a loud puffing sound told them that Hagrid was behind it.

"Hi, Hagrid, want any help?" Ron asked, sticking his head through the branches.

"Nah, I'm all right, thanks, Ron."

"Would you mind moving out of the way?" came Malfoys cold drawl from behind them. "Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley? Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose - that hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's used to."

Ron dived at Malfoy just as Snape came up the stairs.

"WEASLEY!"

Ron let go of the front of Malfoy's robes.

"He was provoked, Professor Snape," Hagrid tried to reason, sticking his huge hairy face out from behind the tree. "Malfoy was insultin' his family."

"Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid," said Snape silkily. "Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful it isn't more. Move along, all of you."

"ARGHHHHHH!' Lily had lunged forward, and punched Malfoy square in the nose, a distinct crack, coming from it.

'Get to the hospital wing.' Snape snapped at Malfoy.

Malfoy, who's nose was gushing blood, Crabbe, and Goyle pushed roughly past the tree, scattering needles everywhere. "Yeah, Coward!" Lily shouted after him, waving her fist. Malfoy walked faster.

Snape sighed. 'insolent, spoilt brat.' He muttered. 'fifty points to Gryffindor, for sticking up for your friends.' And with that Snape sulked away.

"I'll get him," said Ron, grinding his teeth at Malfoy's back, "one of these days, I'll get him -"

"I hate them both," said Harry, "Malfoy and Snape."

"Well, I just broke Malfoy's nose, and Snape awarded Gryffindor fifty points, so doesn't that account for something at least?' Lily asked. She was sick of them hating on Snape. She knew Snape wasn't the nicest teacher around, but he did give Gryffindor quite a few points, with Lily around, at least.

"Come on, cheer up, it's nearly Christmas," said Hagrid. "Tell yeh what, come with me an' see the Great Hall, looks a treat."

So the four of them followed Hagrid and his tree off to -the Great Hall, where Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were busy with the Christmas decorations.

"Ah, Hagrid, the last tree - put it in the far corner, would you?"

The hall looked spectacular. Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls, and no less than twelve towering Christmas trees stood around the room, some sparkling with tiny icicles, some glittering with hundreds of candles.

"How many days you got left until yer holidays?" Hagrid asked.

"Just one," said Hermione. "And that reminds me -Harry, Ron, Lily, we've got half an hour before lunch, we should be in the library."

"Oh yeah, you're right," said Ron, tearing his eyes away from Professor Flitwick, who had golden bubbles blossoming out of his wand and was trailing them over the branches of the new tree.

"The library?" said Hagrid, following them out of the hall. "Just before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yeh?"

"Oh, we're not working," Lily told him brightly. "Ever since you mentioned Nicolas Flamel we've been trying to find out who he is."

"You what?" Hagrid looked shocked. "Listen here - I've told yeh - drop it. It's nothin' to you what that dog's guardin'."

"We just want to know who Nicolas Flamel is, that's all," said Hermione.

"Unless you'd like to tell us and save us the trouble?" Harry added. "We must've been through hundreds of books already and we can't find him anywhere - just give us a hint - I know I've read his name somewhere."

"I'm sayin' nothin," said Hagrid flatly.

"Just have to find out for ourselves, then," said Ron, and they left Hagrid looking disgruntled and hurried off to the library.

They had indeed been searching books for Flamel's name ever since Hagrid had let it slip, because how else were they going to find out what Quirrell was trying to steal? Lily was still positive that it was him out to steal this thing, not Snape.

The trouble was, it was very hard to know where to begin, not knowing what Flamel might have done to get himself into a book. He wasn't in Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century, or Notable Magical Names of Our Time; he was missing, too, from Important Modern Magical Discoveries, and A Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry. And then, of course, there was the sheer size of the library; tens of thousands of books; thousands of shelves; hundreds of narrow rows.

Hermione took out a list of subjects and titles she had decided to search while Ron strode off down a row of books and started pulling them off the shelves at random. Lily wandered over to the Restricted Section. She had been wondering for a while if Flamel wasn't somewhere in there. Unfortunately, you needed a specially signed note from one of the teachers to look in any of the restricted books, and she knew she'd never get one. These were the books containing powerful Dark Magic never taught at Hogwarts, and only read by older students studying advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts. Maybe if she asked Snape...

"What are you looking for, girl?"

"Nothing," said Lily.

Madam Pince, the librarian brandished a feather duster at her.

"You'd better get out, then. Go on - out!"

Wishing she'd been a bit quicker at thinking up some story, Lily left the library. She, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had already agreed they'd better not ask Madam Pince where they could find Flamel. They were sure she'd be able to tell them, but they couldn't risk Quirrell ("It's not Snape!) hearing what they were up to.

Lily waited outside in the corridor to see if the other three had found anything, but she wasn't very hopeful. They had been looking for two weeks, after A, but as they only had odd moments between lessons it wasn't surprising they'd found nothing. What they really needed was a nice long search without Madam Pince breathing down their necks.

Five minutes later, Ron and Hermione joined him, shaking their heads. They went off to lunch.

"You will keep looking while I'm away, won't you?" said Hermione. "And send me an owl if you find anything."

"And you could ask your parents if they know who Flamel is," said Ron. "It'd be safe to ask them."

"Very safe, as they're both dentists," said Hermione.

Once the holidays had started, Ron and Harry were having too good a time to think much about Flamel, as was Lily. She had the dormitory to themselves and the common room was far emptier than usual, so they all were able to get the good armchairs by the fire. They sat by the hour eating anything they could spear on a toasting fork - bread, English muffins, marshmallows - and plotting ways of getting Malfoy expelled, which were fun to talk about even if they wouldn't work.

Ron also started teaching Lily and Harry wizard chess. This was exactly like Muggle chess except that the figures were alive, which made it a lot like directing troops in battle. Ron's set was very old and battered. Like everything else he owned, it had once belonged to someone else in his family - in this case, his grandfather. However, old chessmen weren't a drawback at all. Ron knew them so well he never had trouble getting them to do what he wanted.

Harry played with chessmen Seamus Finnigan had lent him, and they didn't trust him at all. He wasn't a very good player yet and they kept shouting different bits of advice at him, which was confusing. "Don't send me there, can't you see his knight? Send him, we can afford to lose him." Which Lily always laughed at, much Harry's chagrin.

On Christmas Eve, Lily approached Percy. 'Hi perce.' She greeted, flopping down on the armchair opposite him. 'Hullo Lily, what have you been up to? Not too much mischief, I hope?' Percy asked her. He didn't have his glasses on at the moment, so she could see his eyes clearly.

'Well, I was just wondering if you had any idea on who Nicolas Flamel is?' Lily asked him. Percy raised his eyebrows, but didn't ask a question. 'Oh, yes. He's around six hundred years old, The only known maker of the Philosophers Stone.'

Lily frowned. 'What's that?'

"That Lily, is a red stone that can turn any metal to gold, and produces the elixir of life. it makes you immortal. '

Lily's eyes widened. No wonder why Quirrell wanted this stone, who wouldn't.

"Huh, cool. Oh, and I've been meaning to ask you, could you tell Wood to tone it down on the Quidditch training?' She leaned forwards.

If Percy asked, maybe he could get Wood to lesson the Practises, it would be a while since they next took turn in a match.

"I doubt it. When it comes to Quidditch, He never listens to anyone." Was Percy's answer.

Lily gave him a look. 'Fine, then, but if I die, you get the blame." Pery grabbed his books and disappeared up the boys dormitory's staircase.

Lily's thoughts eventually trailed off and she went to bed looking forward to the next day for the food and the fun, but not expecting any presents at all.

When she woke early in the morning, however, the first thing she saw was a small pile of packages at the foot of her bed. Scooping them up, she trot downstairs into the common room.

"Merry Christmas," said Ron sleepily as he and Harry practically fell down the staircase.

"You, too," said Lily. "Will you look at this? We've got some presents!"

"What did you expect, turnips?" said Ron, turning to his own pile, which was a lot bigger than Harry's or Lily's.

Lily picked up the top parcel. It was wrapped in thick brown paper and scrawled across it was To Lily, from Hagrid. Inside was a roughly cut wooden flute. Hagrid had obviously whittled it himself. Lily blew it - it sounded a bit like an owl. Harry got one too, but it sounded like a different sort of owl instead. 'Cool.' Lily grinned.

A second, very small parcel contained a note.

 _We received your message and enclose your Christmas present. From Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia._

Taped to the note was a fifty-pence piece.

"That's friendly," said Harry. Lily snorted. 'Isn't it?'

Ron was fascinated by the fifty pence.

"Weird!" he said, "What a shape! This is money?"

"You can keep it," said Lily and Harry, laughing at how pleased Ron was. "Hagrid and our aunt and uncle - so who sent these?" Harry asked.

"I think I know who that one's from," said Ron, turning a bit pink and pointing to a very lumpy parcel. "My Mum. I told her you didn't expect any presents and - oh, no," he groaned, "she's made you a Weasley sweater each."

Liky had torn open the parcel to find a thick, hand-knitted sweater in emerald green with a white 'L' knitted on it and a large box of homemade fudge.

"Every year she makes us a sweater," said Ron, unwrapping his own, "and mine's always maroon."

"That's really nice of her," said Harry, who was wrestling his own jumper on. Lily pulled hers on too; It was the softest thing she'd ever felt.

Her next present also contained candy - a large box of Chocolate Frogs from Hermione.

From the twins, Lily got a necklace. It was a locket, and on the inside were two photos. On the left was a moving photo of Lily between the two twins, waving at the camera, and on the right was a picture of her and Percy.

It made Lily smile to how the twins Included Percy too.

And from Percy, Lily got a book: The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Flicking through it, Lily learnt it was like fairy-tales, but the wizarding world version. Lily smiled. She would have to give the twins and Percy a hug and thankyou.

She hoped they liked her presents. She had bought the twins a years worth of pranking supplies, which would probably only last one, very prank-filled month, and for percy she had gotten him an expensive quill and ink set in Navy blue, and some expensive parchment, and a hard-bound notebook with the same expensive parchment. She hoped it wasn't too much. For Ron, She and Harry had bought a joint gift; A brand new chess set made out of marble, and for Hermione, Lily bought her some new books that she had known Hermione wanted.

The next present was left a magical charm bracelet. It had an owl, book, wand, lion, snake, star, heart, and a little flat circle with _'Love always_.' engrave on it. There was a simple note saying:

 _This was your mothers._

Strange, though Lily as she slipped the bracelet onto her wrist, it automatically shrinking to fit her wrist, stuffing the note into her dressing-gown pocket before Harry could see. She wanted this to only be for her eyes for now.

There was only one parcel left, addressed both to Lily and Harry. 'You open it' She shoved it towards Harry.

Something fluid and silvery grey went slithering to the floor where it lay in gleaming folds. Ron gasped

"I've heard of those," he said in a hushed voice, dropping the box of Every Flavor Beans he'd gotten from Hermione. "If that's what I think it is - they're really rare, and really valuable."

"What is it?"

Lily picked the shining, silvery cloth off the floor. It was strange to the touch, like water woven into material.

"It's an invisibility cloak," said Ron, a look of awe on his face. "I'm sure it is - try it on."

Lily threw the cloak around Harry's shoulders and Ron gave a yell.

"It is! Look down!"

Harry looked down at his feet, but they were gone. He dashed to the mirror. Sure enough, his reflection looked back at him, just his head suspended in mid-air, his body completely invisible. He pulled the cloak over his head and his reflection vanished completely.

"There's a note!" said Ron suddenly. "A note fell out of it!"

Harry pulled off the cloak and Lily seized the letter. Written in narrow, loopy writing she had never seen before were the following words:

 _Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well._

 _A Very Merry Christmas to you._

There was no signature. Lily and Hary stared at the note. Ron was admiring the cloak.

"I'd give anything for one of these," he said. "Anything. What's the matter?"

"Nothing," said Harry and Lily. They felt very strange. Who had sent the cloak? Had it really once belonged to their father?

Before he could say or think anything else, the dormitory door was flung open and Fred and George Weasley bounded in. Harry stuffed the cloak quickly out of sight when Lily gave him a confirming nod.

"Merry Christmas!"

"Hey, look - Lily and Harry got a Weasley sweater, too!"

Fred and George were wearing blue sweaters, one with a large yellow F on it, the other a G.

"Lily's and Harry's is better than ours, though," said Fred, holding up Harry's sweater. "She obviously makes more of an effort if you're not family."

"Why aren't you wearing yours, Ron?" George demanded. "Come on, get it on, they're lovely and warm."

"I hate maroon," Ron moaned halfheartedly as he pulled it over his head.

"You haven't got a letter on yours," George observed. "I suppose she thinks you don't forget your name. But we're not stupid - we know we're called Gred and Forge."

Lily and Harry burst out laughing.

"What's all this is noise?'

Percy Weasley stuck his head through the door, looking disapproving at Harry who was holding onto Ron to stay upright, and at Lily who was on all fours on the ground, banging it was a fist.

Percy had clearly gotten halfway through unwrapping his presents as he, too, carried a lumpy sweater over his arm, which Fred seized.

"P for prefect! Get it on, Percy, come on, we're all wearing ours, even Lily and Harry got one."

"I - don't - want said Percy thickly, as the twins forced the sweater over his head, knocking his glasses askew.

"And you're not sitting with the prefects today, either," said George. "Christmas is a time for family."

They frog-marched Percy from the room, his arms pinned to his side by his sweater, whilst Lily laughed at his expense.

Lily had never in all her life had such a Christmas dinner. A hundred fat, roast turkeys; mountains of roast and boiled potatoes; platters of chipolatas; tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick, rich gravy and cranberry sauce - and stacks of wizard crackers every few feet along the table.

These fantastic party favours were nothing like the feeble Muggle ones the Dursley's usually bought, with their little plastic toys and their flimsy paper hats inside. Lily pulled a wizard cracker with Percy and it didn't just bang, it went off with a blast like a cannon and engulfed them all in a cloud of blue smoke, while from the inside exploded a rear admiral's hat and several live, white mice. Up at the High Table, Dumbledore had swapped his pointed wizard's hat for a flowered bonnet, and was chuckling merrily at a joke Professor Flitwick had just read him.

Flaming Christmas puddings followed the turkey. Percy nearly broke his teeth on a silver sickle embedded in his slice ("Oh, are your teeth alright Perce?"). Lily and Harry watched Hagrid getting redder and redder in the face as he called for more wine, finally kissing Professor McGonagall on the cheek, who, to Lily's amazement, giggled and blushed, her top hat lopsided.

When Lily finally left the table, she was laden down with a stack of things out of the crackers, including a pack of nonexplodable, luminous balloons, a Grow-Your-Own-Warts kit, and her own new wizard chess set. The white mice had disappeared and Lily had a nasty feeling they were going to end up as Mrs. Norris's Christmas dinner.

The Potter siblings and the Weasleys spent a happy afternoon having a furious snowball fight on the grounds. Then, cold, wet, and gasping for breath, they returned to the fire in the Gryffindor common room, where Lily broke in his new chess set by losing spectacularly to Ron. She suspected she wouldn't have lost so badly if Percy hadn't tried to help her so much. "Percy, I think it's safe to say that you're terrible at chess.' Lily had said, but given him a hug.

After a meal of turkey sandwiches, crumpets, trifle, and Christmas cake, everyone felt too full and sleepy to do much before bed except sit and watch Percy chase Fred and George all over Gryffindor tower because they'd stolen his prefect badge. 'Leave Perce Alone!" Lily shouted. "oooh, Hear that Freddy, It's _Perce_ now." Lily rolled her eyes.

It had been Lily's most favourite Christmas day ever. Yet something had been nagging at the back of her mind all day. Not until she climbed into bed was she free to think about it: the invisibility cloak and whoever had sent it.

Ron, full of turkey and cake and with nothing mysterious to bother him, fell asleep almost as soon as he'd drawn the curtains of his four-poster, which was lucky for Lily, who had wanted to sneak into their dorm and grab the invisibility cloak.

Lily leaned over the side of Harry's bed and pulled the cloak out from under it.

Her father's... this had been their father's. She let the material flow over her hands, smoother than silk, light as air. Use it well, the note had said. 'What are you doing?' Lily gasped, and spun around to face...Harry. 'I wanted to try this out.' Lily held up the cloak. Harry nodded. 'Come on then.' Lily smiled at him.

She flung the cloak over the both of them, and looking down at her legs, she saw only moonlight and shadows. It was a very funny feeling.

Use it well.

Suddenly, Lily felt wide-awake. The whole of Hogwarts was open to Her and Harry in this cloak. Excitement flooded through her.

Ron grunted in his sleep. Should Her and Harry wake him? No, Lily thought.

The twins crept out of the dormitory, down the stairs, across the common room, and climbed through the portrait hole.

"Who's there?" squawked the Fat Lady. they said nothing and continued walking quickly down the corridor.

Where should they go? Perhaps The Restricted Section in the library? they'd be able to read as long as they liked, and she might be able to find more about Nicolas Flamel, now that she knew what she was looking for. 'Library?' Lily whispered softly. 'yeah.' The set off, drawing the invisibility cloak tight around them both as they walked.

The library was pitch-black and very eerie. Lily lifted the cloak off them and lit a lamp to see their way along the rows of books, before putting the cloak back on. The lamp looked as if it was floating along in mid-air, and even though Harry could feel his arm supporting it, the sight gave him the creeps.

The Restricted Section was right at the back of the library. Step ping carefully over the rope that separated these books from the rest of the library, Harry held up his lamp to read the titles.

They didn't tell Either of the Twins that much. Their peeling, faded gold letters spelled words in languages they couldn't possibly begin to understand. Some had no title at all. One book had a dark stain on it that looked horribly like blood. The hairs on the back of Lily's neck prickled. Maybe she was imagining it, maybe not, but she thought a faint whispering was coming from the books, as though they knew someone was there who shouldn't be. Perhaps she was starting to go mad.

they had to start somewhere. Setting the lamp down carefully on the floor, Harry and Lily looked along the bottom shelf for an interesting looking book. A large black and silver volume caught Lily's eye. She pulled it out with difficulty, because it was very heavy, and, balancing it on her knee, let it fall open.

A piercing, bloodcurdling shriek split the silence - the book was screaming! Harry came to his senses first and snapped it shut, but the shriek went on and on, one high, unbroken, ear-splitting note. Lily tripped, and the Twins stumbled backward and knocked over the lamp, which went out at once. Panicking,footsteps could be heard, coming down the corridor outside - stuffing the shrieking book back on the shelf, Lily and Harry ran for it. They passed Filch in the doorway; Filch's pale, wild eyes looked straight through them, and Lily and Harry slipped under Filch's outstretched arm and streaked off up the corridor, the book's shrieks still ringing in their ears. I think I've gone deaf, Lily though to herself.

She came to a sudden halt in front of a tall suit of armour, pulling Harry back with her. They had been so busy getting away from the library, The hadn't paid attention to where they were going. Perhaps because it was dark, But She didn't recognize where They was at all. There was a suit of armour near the kitchens, she knew, but she must be five floors above there.

"You asked me to come directly to you, Professor, if anyone was wandering around at night, and somebody's been in the library Restricted Section."

Lily felt the blood drain out of his face. Wherever her and Harry were, Filch must know a shortcut, because his soft, greasy voice was getting nearer, and to her horror and relief, it was Snape who replied, "The Restricted Section? Well, they can't be far, we'll catch them." Lily bit her lip. If Lily was caught, Snape may let her off the hook, but Harry, on the other hand? Not a chance.

Harry stood rooted to the spot as Filch and Snape came around the corner ahead. They couldn't see Lily or Harry, of course, but it was a narrow corridor and if they came much nearer they'd knock right into The Twins- the cloak didn't stop them from being solid, unfortunately.

They backed away as quietly as they could. A door stood ajar to Harry's left. It was their only hope. Lily and Harry squeezed through it, holding their breath, trying not to move it, and to Lily's relief he managed to get inside the room without their noticing anything. They walked straight past, and Lily leaned against the wall, breathing deeply, listening to their footsteps dying away. That had been close, very close. It was a few seconds before she noticed anything about the room they had hidden in.

It looked like an unused classroom. The dark shapes of desks and chairs were piled against the walls, and there was an upturned wastepaper basket - but propped against the wall facing Lily was something that didn't look as if it belonged there, something that looked as if someone had just put it there to keep it out of the way.

It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. Lily's panic fading now that there was no sound of Filch and Snape, Harry moved nearer to the mirror,until He stepped in front of it.

Lily had to clap her hands to her mouth to stop herself from screaming. She whirled around. Her heart was pounding far more furiously than when the book had screamed - for she had seen not only herself and Harry in the mirror, but a whole crowd of people standing right behind him.

But the room was empty. Breathing very fast, she turned slowly back to the mirror.

There she was, reflected in it, white and scared-looking like Harry next to her, and there, reflected behind them, were at least ten others. Lily looked over her shoulder - but still, no one was there. Or were they all invisible, too? Was she in fact in a room full of invisible people and this mirror's trick was that it reflected them, invisible or not?

She looked in the mirror again. A woman standing right behind Harry's reflection was smiling at them and waving. The Twins reached out a hand and felt the air behind them. If she was really there, Lily'd touch her, their reflections were so close together, but she felt only air - she and the others existed only in the mirror.

She was a very pretty woman. She had dark red hair and her eyes - her eyes are just like mine, Harry thought, edging a little closer to the glass. Bright green - exactly the same shape, but then he noticed that she was crying; smiling, but crying at the same time. The tall, thin, black-haired man standing next to her put his arm around her. He wore glasses, and his hair was very untidy. It stuck up at the back, just as Harry's did.

Lily and Harry was so close to the mirror now that his nose was nearly touching that of his reflection.

"Mum?" They whispered. "Dad?"

They just looked at him, smiling. And slowly, Lily and Harry looked into the faces of the other people in the mirror, and saw other pairs of green eyes like theirs, other noses like theirs, even a little old man who looked as though he had Harry's knobbly knees - Lily was looking at her family, for the first time in her life.

The Potters smiled and waved at Harry and he stared hungrily back at them, his hands pressed flat against the glass as though he was hoping to fall right through it and reach them. He had a powerful kind of ache inside him, half joy, half terrible sadness.

"Wait a minute... Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi... Harry, it's spelt backwards. It means I show not your face but your hearts desire. This mirror isn't safe."

The reflections did not fade and he looked and looked until a Lily's voice brought him back to his senses. He couldn't stay here, he had to find his way back to bed. He tore his eyes away from his mother's face, whispered, "I'll come back," and hurried from the room.

"Harry, Don't go back, that mirror is dangerous, it could drive you mad." Lily could only hope Harry would listen to her.

"And Dumbledore told you the exact same thing I did three nights ago! you should have listened to me Harry. Lately you haven't been doing that at all.' Lily had been very disappointed to find Harry had gone back a second ad third time to see that stupid Mirror of Erised. And on the third night, he had been caught by Dumbledore himself, who had said the exact same thing Lily had; that it could never be real, and it could very much drive you mad.

Lily huffed to herself, and flopped down on the couch, and buried herself down under a mountain of blankets and pillows.

"Are you okay, Lily?' Ah, thought Lily with a smile, Percy. Lily poked her head out from underneath the blankets.

"I'm good, Perce. Where've you been?' she asked. 'Oh, just the Library, I had to finished that essay for professor Vector- The Ancient Runes professor.' He added. Lily just smiled and shook her head. 'Come sit, Perce, you study way too much for a fifteen year old.' She smiled, patting the awkward spot next to her. 'Actually, can you make the couch bigger? We could hide under my mountain, then.' Lily pulled the puppy eyes. 'Fine.' Percy rolled his eyes.

"Engorgio!' The Couch grew to four times its size, much to the happiness of Lily.

Percy sat his books on an empty table, kicked off his shoes, took off his glasses and dived into the huge pile of blankets.

Lily giggled and swivelled back under.

"Well, Looky here, Fred.' Came an annoying voice. Percy sighed, whilst Lily stuck out her head. 'Yes?' She asked hotly. 'Whew, we'll just be going then.' Came Fred's voice. 'Please do!" Lily called out. 'Offended!' The twins chirped before prancing away. 'Those two...' She trailed off.

"Merlin, they can be annoying can't they?' Lily asked.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN- So I have finally decided Lily with be paired with someone, And at the moment I'm thinking of one of the Weasley twins :)**

Chapter 8-

Thankfully, Dumbledore had convinced Harry not to go looking for the Mirror of Erised again, and for the rest of the Christmas holidays the invisibility cloak stayed folded at the bottom of Lily's trunk, who had taken it to make sure Harry didn't go back. She doubted he would after getting a lecture from Dumbledore himself, but Lily wanted to stay on the safe side. Lily wished she could forget what she'd seen in the mirror as easily, but she couldn't. She started having nightmares. Over and over again she dreamed about her parents disappearing in a flash of green light, while a high voice cackled with laughter. Lily desperately wished she had never seen that mirror.

Once, again, Lily jerked awake from a nightmare, panting. Looking around, she observed the common room. She must have fallen asleep whilst reading Advanced Potion Making. 'Holy Merlin.' She swore softly under her breath. She was sick of these nightmares. Maybe she could ask Percy for some dreamless sleep, surely he'd be able to brew that up in no-time.

"You see, Dumbledore was right, that mirror could drive you mad," said Ron. Harry just told Ron about the dreams he'd been having, which by coincidence, surely, were the same as Lily's.

Lily needed someone to talk to hers about too. Maybe Percy. For reasons unknown to even herself, she had become quite attached to the Fifth-year prefect. He was a good friend, though she wasn't calling Ron and Hermione bad friends, she was just closer to Percy.

Hermione, who came back the day before term started, took a different view of things. She was torn between horror at the idea of Lily and Harry being out of bed, roaming the school three nights in a row, even though Lily had gone only the first night, ("If Filch had caught you!"), and disappointment that they hadn't at least found out who Nicolas Flamel was.

Of course, Lily knew who he was, but she didn't want to tell the other three; they had their hearts set out on Snape trying to kill them and steal the package.

Harry, Ron and Hermione had almost given up hope of ever finding Flamel in a library book, even though Harry was still telling them that he'd read the name somewhere, he just couldn't remember where.

Once term had started, they were back to skimming through books for ten minutes during their breaks. Lily and Harry had even less time than the other two, because Quidditch practice had started again.

Wood was working the team harder than ever. Even the endless rain that had replaced the snow couldn't dampen his spirits. The Weasleys complained that Wood was becoming a fanatic, but Lily was on Wood's side, for once. If they won their next match, against Hufflepuff, they would overtake Slytherin in the house championship for the first time in seven years. Quite apart from wanting to win, Lily found that she had fewer nightmares when she was tired out after training.

Then, during one particularly wet and muddy practice session, Wood gave the team a bit of bad news. He'd just gotten very angry with the Weasleys, who kept dive-bombing each other and pretending to fall off their brooms.

"Will you stop messing around!" he yelled. "That's exactly the sort of thing that'll lose us the match! Snape's refereeing this time, and he'll be looking for any excuse to knock points off Gryffindor!"

George really did fall off his broom at these words.

"Snape's refereeing?" he spluttered through a mouthful of mud. "When's he ever refereed a Quidditch match? He's not going to be fair if we might overtake Slytherin."

The rest of the team landed next to George to complain, too. Lily, who hadn't been able to clearly in the dark, tripped and pushed George back down, face first into the mud. 'Sorry.' She said sheepishly, whilst Fred roared with laughter. George just glared at her.

"It's not my fault," Wood retorted. "We've just got to make sure we play a clean game, so Snape hasn't got an excuse to pick on us."

Which was all very well, Lily thought. She knew Harry what Harry was thinking though.

The rest of the team hung back to talk to one another as usual at the end of practice, but Lily and Harry wanted to get out of the cold, so they both headed straight back to the Gryffindor common room, where they found Ron and Hermione playing chess. Chess was the only thing Hermione ever lost at, something Harry and Ron thought was very good for her, and something Lily laughed very hard at.

"Don't talk to me for a moment," said Ron when Harry sat down next to him, "I need to concen -" He caught sight of Harry's face. "What's the matter with you? You look terrible."

Speaking quietly so that no one else would hear, Harry told the other two about Snape's sudden, sinister desire to be a Quidditch referee.

"Don't play," said Hermione at once.

"Say you're ill," said Ron.

"Pretend to break your leg," Hermione suggested.

"Really break your leg," said Ron.

"I can't," said Harry. "There isn't a reserve Seeker. If I back out, Gryffindor can't play at all." Lily sighed, threw her book down in frustration. 'Arh!' She yelled.

At that moment Neville toppled into the common room. How he had managed to climb through the portrait hole was anyone's guess, because his legs had been stuck together with what they recognized at once as the Leg-Locker Curse. He must have had to bunny hop all the way up to Gryffindor tower.

Everyone fell over laughing except Hermione, who leapt up and performed the counter-curse. Neville's legs sprang apart and he got to his feet, trembling. "What happened?" Hermione asked him, leading him over to sit with Lily, Harry and Ron.

"Malfoy," said Neville shakily. "I met him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practice that on.

"Go to Professor McGonagall!" Hermione urged Neville. "Report him!"

Neville shook his head.

"I don't want more trouble," he mumbled.

'Punch him in the nose!' Lily yelled.

"You've got to stand up to him, Neville!" said Ron. "He's used to walking all over people, but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier."

"There's no need to tell me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, Malfoy's already done that," Neville choked out.

Lily softened, and felt in the pocket of her robes and pulled out a Chocolate Frog, the very last one from the box Hermione had given herfor Christmas. She gave it to Neville, who looked as though he might cry.

"You're worth twelve of Malfoy," Lily said. "The Sorting Hat chose you for Gryffindor, didn't it? And where's Malfoy? In stinking Slytherin."

Neville's lips twitched in a weak smile as he unwrapped the frog.

"Thanks, Lily... I think I'll go to bed... D'you want the card, you collect them, don't you?"

As Neville walked away, Harry looked at the Famous Wizard card.

"Dumbledore again," he said, "He was the first one Lily ever-"

Harry gasped. He stared at the back of the card. Then he looked up at Ron and Hermione, then at Lily uncertainly.

"I've found him!" he whispered. "I've found Flamel! I told you I'd read the name somewhere before, I read it on the train coming here - listen to this: 'Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel'!" Lily groaned.

Hermione jumped to her feet. She hadn't looked so excited since they'd gotten back the marks for their very first piece of homework.

"Stay there!" she said, and she sprinted up the stairs to the girls' dormitories. Harry and Ron barely had time to exchange mystified looks before she was dashing back, an enormous old book in her arms.

"I never thought to look in here!" she whispered excitedly. "I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading." Lily groaned again.

"Light?" said Ron, but Hermione told him to be quiet until she'd looked something up, and started flicking frantically through the pages, muttering to herself.

At last she found what she was looking for.

"I knew it! I knew it!"

"Are we allowed to speak yet?" said Ron grumpily. Hermione ignored him.

"Nicolas Flamel," she whispered dramatically, "is the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone!"

This didn't have quite the effect she'd expected.

"The what?" said Harry and Ron. Lily tried not to look too guilty.

"Oh, honestly, don't you two read? Look - read that, there."

She pushed the book toward them, and Harry and Ron read aloud:

 _The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Philospoher's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal._

 _There have been many reports of the Sorcerer's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight)._

"See?" said Hermione, when Harry and Ron had finished. "The dog must be guarding Flamel's Sorcerer's Stone! I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him, because they're friends and he knew someone was after it, that's why he wanted the Stone moved out of Gringotts!"

"A stone that makes gold and stops you from ever dying!" said Harry. "No wonder Snape's after it! Anyone would want it."

"And no wonder we couldn't find Flamel in that Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry," said Ron. "He's not exactly recent if he's six hundred and sixty-five, is he?"

Lily said nothing, but her face gave it away. 'You Knew!' Ron pointed an accusing finger at her. Lily shrugged her shoulders, and said nothing still. 'Why didn't you tell us?'

Lily sighed, "Because you three are so set on pointing the blame on Snape! I'm telling you, it's Quirrell.' Lily insisted. She knew it was useless, but still she tried.

"By the way, how did you learn about it so quickly?' Hermione leaned forwards, as if to learn a secret.

Lily grinned, knowing she had the upper-hand here, "It comes quite handy, Being friends with Percy.'

Ron choked and became an odd shade of red. 'Percy? He told you?'

Lily beamed. 'Yep, all I did was ask him, right on Christmas eve.' She grinned.

Ron muttered something that sounded very similar to "Traitor", under his breath.

The next morning in Defense Against the Dark Arts, while copying down different ways of treating werewolf bites, Which Lily thought very fascinating, Harry and Ron were still discussing what they'd do with a Sorcerer's Stone if they had one. It wasn't until Ron said he'd buy his own Quidditch team that Harry seemed to remember about Snape and the coming match.

"I'm going to play," he told Ron and Hermione. "If I don't, all the Slytherins will think I'm just too scared to face Snape. I'll show them... it'll really wipe the smiles off their faces if we win."

"Just as long as we're not wiping you off the field," said Hermione. Lily ignored them.

As the match drew nearer, however, Lily became more and more nervous, and she knew Harry was too. The rest of the team wasn't too calm, either. The idea of overtaking Slytherin in the house championship was wonderful, no one had done it for seven years, but would they be allowed to, with such a biased referee?

Lily didn't know whether she was imagining it or not, but she seemed to keep running into Snape wherever she went. At times, she even wondered whether Snape was following her, though for what possibly. Each time she saw him she'd give him a smile, and skip away.. Potions lessons were turning into a sort of weekly torture for Harry though, Snape was so horrible to Him, but Lily couldn't find it in herself to feel sorry for him, not when he was accusing Snape of wanting to murder him. Maybe Snape knew about that.

Lily knew, when they wished her and Harry good luck outside the locker rooms the next afternoon, that Ron and Hermione were wondering whether they'd ever see Harry and Lily alive again. This wasn't what you'd call comforting for him. Lily hardly heard a word of Wood's pep talk as she pulled on her Quidditch robes and picked up her Nimbus Two Thousand.

Ron and Hermione, meanwhile, had found a place in the stands next to Neville, who couldn't understand why they looked so grim and worried, or why they had both brought their wands to the match. Little did Lily know that Ron and Hermione had been secretly practicing the Leg-Locker Curse. They'd gotten the idea from Malfoy using it on Neville, and were ready to use it on Snape if he showed any sign of wanting to hurt either of the Twins.

"Now, don't forget, it's Locomotor Mortis," Hermione muttered as Ron slipped his wand up his sleeve.

"I know," Ron snapped. "Don't nag."

Back in the locker room, Wood had taken Harry aside.

"Don't want to pressure you, Potter, but if we ever need an early capture of the Snitch it's now. Finish the game before Snape can favor Hufflepuff too much."

"The whole school's out there!" said Fred Weasley, peering out of the door. "Even - blimey - Dumbledore's come to watch!"

Lily's heart did a somersault.

"Dumbledore?" she asked curiously, dashing to the door to make sure Fred was right. There was no mistaking that silver beard.

Lily could have laughed out loud with relief, her and Harry would be completely safe. There was simply no way that Quirrell, or whoever was out for the Twins, would dare to try to hurt them if Dumbledore was watching.

Snape was looking very angry as the teams marched onto the field, something that Ron noticed, too.

"I've never seen Snape look so mean," he told Hermione. "Look -they're off Ouch!"

Someone had poked Ron in the back of the head. It was Malfoy.

"Oh, sorry, Weasley, didn't see you there."

Malfoy grinned broadly at Crabbe and Goyle.

"Wonder how long Potter's are going to stay on their broom this time? Anyone want a bet? What about you, Weasley?"

Ron didn't answer; Snape had just awarded Hufflepuff a penalty because George had hit a Bludger at him. Hermione, who had all her fingers crossed in her lap, was squinting fixedly at Harry , who was circling the game like a hawk, looking for the Snitch. Lily on the other hand was scoring away.

"You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?" said Malfoy loudly a few minutes later, as Snape awarded Hufflepuff another penalty for no reason at all. "It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potters, who've got no parents, then there's the Weasleys, who've got no money - you should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains."

Neville went bright red but turned in his seat to face Malfoy.

"I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy," he stammered.

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle howled with laughter, but Ron, still not daring to take his eyes from the game, said, "You tell him, Neville."

"Longbottom, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something."

Ron's nerves were already stretched to the breaking point with anxiety about Harry and Lily.

"I'm warning you, Malfoy - one more word-'

"Ron!" said Hermione suddenly, "Harry -"

"What? Where?"

Harry had suddenly gone into a spectacular dive, which drew gasps and cheers from the crowd. Hermione stood up, her crossed fingers in her mouth, as Harry streaked toward the ground like a bullet.

"You're in luck, Weasley, Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground!" said Malfoy.

Ron snapped. Before Malfoy knew what was happening, Ron was on top of him, wrestling him to the ground. Neville hesitated, then clambered over the back of his seat to help.

"Come on, Harry!" Hermione screamed, leaping onto her seat to watch as Harry sped straight at Snape - she didn't even notice Malfoy and Ron rolling around under her seat, or the scuffles and yelps coming from the whirl of fists that was Neville, Crabbe, and Goyle.

Up in the air, Snape turned on his broomstick just in time to see something scarlet shoot past him, missing him by inches - the next second, Harry had pulled out of the dive, his arm raised in triumph, the Snitch clasped in his hand.

The stands erupted; it had to be a record, no one could ever remember the Snitch being caught so quickly.

"Ron! Ron! Where are you? The game's over! Harry's won! We've won! Gryffindor is in the lead!" shrieked Hermione, dancing up and down on her seat and hugging Parvati Patil in the row in front.

Lily jumped off her broom, a foot from the ground. She couldn't believe it. Harry had done it - the game was over; it had barely lasted five minutes. As Gryffindors came spilling onto the field, she saw Snape land nearby, white-faced and tight-lipped - then Lily saw a hand on Harry's shoulder and and watched as he looked up into Dumbledore's smiling face.

"Well done," said Dumbledore quietly, so that only Harry could hear. "Nice to see you haven't been brooding about that mirror... been keeping busy... excellent..."

Snape spat bitterly on the ground.

Lily left the locker room alone some time later, to take her Nimbus Two Thousand back to the broomshed. She couldn't ever remember feeling happier. The evening air had never smelled so sweet. She walked over the damp grass, smiling to herself.

Lily had reached the shed. She leaned against the wooden door and looked up at Hogwarts, with its windows glowing red in the setting sun. Gryffindor in the lead.

It was a glorious feeling. Both, Gryffindor being in the lead, and inhaling the fresh, cool air at night, under the moon, and stars, creating soft beams of light.

Once her Broom was in the shed, Lily began walking back up into the castle, feeling... At peace. Yes, at peace.

Surprisingly, Harry was nowhere to be seen either, when Lily had gotten back up into Gryffindor common room.

"Harry, where have you been?" Hermione squeaked.

"We won! You won! We won!" shouted Ron, thumping Harry on the back. "And I gave Malfoy a black eye, and Neville tried to take on Crabbe and Goyle single-handed! He's still out cold but Madam Pomftey says he'll be all right - talk about showing Slytherin! Everyone's been waiting for you in the common room, we're having a party, Fred and George stole some cakes and stuff from the kitchens."

"Never mind that now," said Harry breathlessly. "Let's find an empty room, you wait 'til you hear this..."

Harry had made sure Peeves wasn't inside before shutting the door behind them, then he told them what he'd seen and heard.

"So we were right, it is the Sorcerer's Stone, and Snape's trying to force Quirrell to help him get it. He asked if he knew how to get past Fluffy - and he said something about Quirrell's 'hocus pocuss- I reckon there are other things guarding the stone apart from Fluffy, loads of enchantments, probably, and Quirrell would have done some anti-Dark Arts spell that Snape needs to break through -"

"So you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?" said Hermione in alarm.

"It'll be gone by next Tuesday," said Ron.

Yes it will be, thought Lily, but not by Snape.

The party In Gryffindor tower had finally calmed down at midnight, When Percy had started yelling out "Right, Everybody to bed. Yes you will, I'm a prefect, and if you aren't all in bed in five minutes, I'll be getting Professor McGonagall.' Finally, everybody shuffled off the bed, Fred and George going with yells of "Yes Mum, Absolutely Mum,'

Percy had not been impressed, though Lily had to hide a smile behind her hand.

Percy flopped with unnecessary grace, Onto the scarlet red, Gryffindor couch beside Lily. 'Hi Perce' She greeted.

"You know, you should have some fun everynow and then, y'know, break a few rules.' she added. Percy looked both aghast, and opening to the option. 'But-'

"Yes, Percy, you're a prefect.' Lily rolled her eyes. "And stop studying so much. I swear, your the exact opposite to Wood. Funny how you're friends.' Lily mused.

Percy just rolled his eyes.

"Anyways,' Percy cleared his throat, 'What are Your Brother, Ron and that girl, whats her name again?"

"Hermione, you mean?' Lily asked.

"Yes, erm, what are they up too? And don't say you don't know, because I know you do.' Percy added.

Lily bit her lip. She didn't know how to reply.

"Their a bit obsessed with something at the moment. It's not important.' Lily added before Percy could say anything more. Percy looked quite affronted, but let the subject matter drop.

'It doesn't matter what I say, Harry won't believe me.' Lily sighed. 'He doesn't listen to me anymore.'

Percy looked at her knowingly. "That's what happens when your the more mature sibling.' He muttered. Lily realised basically the same thing happened to Percy every single day. Maybe they weren't so different, afterall.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9-

In the weeks that followed Quirrell seemed to be getting paler and thinner, but it didn't look as though he'd cracked yet.

Every time the quartet passed the third-floor corridor, Harry, Ron, and Hermione would press their ears to the door to check that Fluffy was still growling inside, whilst Lily kept on walking by. Snape was sweeping about in his usual bad temper, which surely meant that the Stone was still safe, or so Harry and Ron thought. Whenever Harry passed Quirrell these days he gave him an encouraging sort of smile, and Ron had started telling people off for laughing at Quirrell's stutter.

Lily, on the other hand encouraged the jests more, and would usually find ways to prank him with the Weasley twins. If Fred and George thought it weird how she hated Quirrell, they didn't mention anything.

Hermione, however, had more on her mind than the Sorcerer's Stone. She had started drawing up study schedules and colour-coding all her notes. Harry and Ron wouldn't have minded, but she kept nagging them to do the same. Lily would colour-code hers too, but when the exams were a bit more closer.

"Hermione, the exams are ages away."

"Ten weeks," Hermione snapped. "That's not ages, that's like a second to Nicolas Flamel."

"But we're not six hundred years old," Lily reminded her. "Anyway, what are you studying for, you already know it all." Lily didn't know why she bothered asking that. At least Hermione wasn't as bad as Percy, who studied his every free minute of every day.

"What am I studying for? Are you crazy? You realize we need to pass these exams to get into the second year? They're very important, I should have started studying a month ago, I don't know what's gotten into me..."

Unfortunately, the teachers seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Hermione. They piled so much homework on them that the Easter holidays weren't nearly as much fun as the Christmas ones.

It was hard to relax with Hermione next to you reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood or practicing wand movements.

Moaning and yawning, The twins and Ron spent most of their free time in the library with her, trying to get through all their extra work.

"I'll never remember this," Ron burst out one afternoon, throwing down his quill and looking longingly out of the library window. It was the first really fine day they'd had in months. The sky was a clear, forget-me-not blue, and there was a feeling in the air of summer coming.

Harry, who was looking up "Dittany" in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi (Lily had somehow managed to copy the entire book in her head), didn't look up until he heard Ron say, "Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?"

Hagrid shuffled into view, hiding something behind his back. He looked very out of place in his moleskin overcoat.

"Jus' lookin'," he said, in a shifty voice that got their interest at once. "An' what're you lot up ter?" He looked suddenly suspicious. "Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?"

"Oh, we found out who he is ages ago," said Ron impressively. "Lily knew way before us though, And we know what that dog's guarding, it's The Philosopher's St -"

"Shhhh!" Hagrid looked around quickly to see if anyone was listening. "Don' go shoutin' about it, what's the matter with yeh?"

"There are a few things we wanted to ask you, as a matter of fact," said Harry, "about what's guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy -"

"SHHHH!" said Hagrid again. "Listen - come an' see me later, I'm not promisin' I'll tell yeh anythin', mind, but don' go rabbitin' about it in here, students aren' s'pposed ter know. They'll think I've told yeh -"

"See you later, then," Grinned Lily, waving at Hagrid, who shuffled off.

"What was he hiding behind his back?" asked Hermione thoughtfully.

"Do you think it had anything to do with the Stone?"

"I'm going to see what section he was in," said Ron, who'd had enough of working. He came back a minute later with a pile of books in his arms and slammed them down on the table.

"Dragons!" he whispered. "Hagrid was looking up stuff about dragons! Look at these: Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland; From Egg to Inferno, A Dragon Keeper's Guide."

"Hagrid's always wanted a dragon, he told us so the first time we ever met him, " said Harry shooting Lily a look.

"But it's against our laws," said Ron. "Dragon breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709, everyone knows that. It's hard to stop Muggles from noticing us if we're keeping dragons in the back garden - anyway, you can't tame dragons, it's dangerous. You should see the burns Charlie's got off wild ones in Romania."

"But there aren't wild dragons in Britain?" Lily frowned.

"Of course there are," said Ron. "Common Welsh Green and Hebridean Blacks. The Ministry of Magic has a job hushing them up, I can tell you. Our kind have to keep putting spells on Muggles who've spotted them, to make them forget."

Lily jumped up. 'Really? It'd be really cool working with dragons." She grinned.

'Not you too. Charlie doesn't even have a proper life, spends it all every single day with dragons. He's got a favourite you know, the way he goes on about her in his letters...' Ron trailed off.

"So what on earths Hagrid up to?" Hermione frowned.

When they knocked on the door of the gamekeeper's hut an hour later, they were surprised to see that all the curtains were closed. Hagrid called "Who is it?" before he let them in, and then shut the door quickly behind them.

It was stifling hot inside. Even though it was such a warm day, there was a blazing fire in the grate. Hagrid made them tea and offered them stoat sandwiches, which they refused.

"So - yeh wanted to ask me somethin'?"

"Yes," said Harry. There was no point beating around the bush. "We were wondering if you could tell us what's guarding the Sorcerer's Stone apart from Fluffy."

Hagrid frowned at him.

"O' course I cant, he said. "Number one, I don' know meself. Number two, yeh know too much already, so I wouldn' tell yeh if I could. That Stone's here fer a good reason. It Was almost stolen outta Gringotts - I s'ppose yeh've worked that out an' all? Beats me how yeh even know abou' Fluffy."

"Oh, come on, Hagrid, you might not want to tell us, but you do know, you know everything that goes on round here," said Lily in a warm, flattering voice. Hagrid's beard twitched and they could tell he was smiling. "We only wondered who had done the guarding, really." Lily went on. "We wondered who Dumbledore had trusted enough to help him, apart from you."

Hagrid's chest swelled at these last words. Harry and Ron beamed at Lily. Flattery gets you everywhere, smiled Lily inwardly.

"Well, I don' s'pose it could hurt ter tell yeh that... let's see... he borrowed Fluffy from me... then some o' the teachers did enchantments... Professor Sprout - Professor Flitwick - Professor McGonagall -" he ticked them off on his fingers, "Professor Quirrell - an' Dumbledore himself did somethin', o' course. Hang on, I've forgotten someone. Oh yeah, Professor Snape."

"Snape?"

"Yeah - yer not still on abou' that, are yeh? Look, Snape helped protect the Stone, he's not about ter steal it. Ye Should listen to ye sister, 'Arry"

Lily was happy that someone was still on her side. If Quirrell had been in on protecting the Stone, it must have been easy to find out how the other teachers had guarded it. He probably knew everything - except, it seemed, Snape's protection and how to get past Fluffy.

"You're the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy. aren't you, Hagrid?" said Harry anxiously. "And you wouldn't tell anyone, would you? Not even one of the teachers?"

"Not a soul knows except me an' Dumbledore," said Hagrid proudly.

"Well, that's something," Harry muttered to the others. "Hagrid, can we have a window open? I'm boiling."

"Can't, Harry, sorry," said Hagrid. Harry noticed him glance at the fire. Harry looked at it, too.

"Hagrid - what's that?"

But she already knew what it was. In the very heart of the fire, underneath the kettle, was a huge, black egg.

"Ah," said Hagrid, fiddling nervously with his beard, "That's er..."

"Where did you get it, Hagrid?" said Ron, crouching over the fire to get a closer look at the egg. "It must've cost you a fortune."

"Won it," said Hagrid. "Las' night. I was down in the village havin' a few drinks an' got into a game o' cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get rid of it, ter be honest."

"But what are you going to do with it when it's hatched?" said Hermione.

"Well, I've bin doin' some readin' , said Hagrid, pulling a large book from under his pillow. "Got this outta the library - Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit - it's a bit outta date, o' course, but it's all in here. Keep the egg in the fire, 'cause their mothers breathe on I em, see, an' when it hatches, feed it on a bucket o' brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour. An' see here - how ter recognize diff'rent eggs - what I got there's a Norwegian Ridgeback. They're rare, them."

He looked very pleased with himself, but Hermione didn't.

"Hagrid, you live in a wooden house," she said.

But Hagrid wasn't listening. He was humming merrily as he stoked the fire.

So now they had something else to worry about: what might happen to Hagrid if anyone found out he was hiding an illegal dragon in his hut. "Wonder what it's like to have a peaceful life," Ron sighed, as evening after evening they struggled through all the extra homework they were getting. Hermione had now started making study schedules for Harry, Ron and Lily too. It was driving them nuts.

Then, one breakfast time, Hedwig brought Lily and Harry another note from Hagrid. He had written only two words: It's hatching.

Ron wanted to skip Herbology and go straight down to the hut. Hermione wouldn't hear of it.

"Hermione, how many times in our lives are we going to see a dragon hatching?" Lily had to agree with Ron there. She'd choose watching a dragon hatch over a herbology class anyday.

"We've got lessons, we'll get into trouble, and that's nothing to what Hagrid's going to be in when someone finds out what he's doing -"

"Shut up!" Lily whispered.

Malfoy was only a few feet away and he had stopped dead to listen. How much had he heard? Lily didn't like the look on Malfoy's ferret- face at all.

Ron and Hermione argued all the way to Herbology and in the end, Hermione agreed to run down to Hagrid's with the other three during morning break. When the bell sounded from the castle at the end of their lesson, the three of them dropped their trowels at once and hurried through the grounds to the edge of the forest. Hagrid greeted them, looking flushed and excited.

"It's nearly out." He ushered them inside.

The egg was lying on the table. There were deep cracks in it. Something was moving inside; a funny clicking noise was coming from it.

They all drew their chairs up to the table and watched with bated breath.

All at once there was a scraping noise and the egg split open. The baby dragon flopped onto the table. It wasn't exactly pretty; Lily thought it looked like a crumpled, black umbrella. Its spiny wings were huge compared to its skinny jet body, it had a long snout with wide nostrils, the stubs of horns and bulging, orange eyes.

It sneezed. A couple of sparks flew out of its snout. But it was sort of cute, in a weird way.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid murmured. He reached out a hand to stroke the dragon's head. It snapped at his fingers, showing pointed fangs.

"Bless him, look, he knows his mommy!" said Hagrid.

"Hagrid," said Hermione, "how fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly?"

Hagrid was about to answer when the color suddenly drained from his face - he leapt to his feet and ran to the window.

"What's the matter?"

"Someone was lookin' through the gap in the curtains - it's a kid - he's runnin' back up ter the school."

Lily and Harry bolted to the door and looked out. Even at a distance there was no mistaking him.

Malfoy had seen the dragon.

Something about the smile lurking on Malfoy's face during the next week made Harry, Ron, Hermione and Lily very nervous. They spent most of their free time in Hagrid's darkened hut, trying to reason with him.

"Just let him go," Harry urged. "Set him free."

"I can't," said Hagrid. "He's too little. He'd die."

They looked at the dragon. It had grown three times in length in just a week. Smoke kept furling out of its nostrils. Hagrid hadn't been doing his gamekeeping duties because the dragon was keeping him so busy. There were empty brandy bottles and chicken feathers all over the floor.

"I've decided to call him Norbert," said Hagrid, looking at the dragon with misty eyes. "He really knows me now, watch. Norbert! Norbert! Where's Mommy?"

"He's lost his marbles," Ron muttered in Lily's ear.

"Hagrid," said Harry loudly, "give it two weeks and Norbert's going to be as long as your house. Malfoy could go to Dumbledore at any moment."

Hagrid bit his lip.

"I - I know I can't keep him forever, but I can't jus' dump him, I can't."

Lily suddenly turned to Ron. "Charlie," she said.

"You're losing it, too," said Ron. "I'm Ron, remember?"

"No - Charlie - your brother, Charlie. In Romania. Studying dragons. We could send Norbert to him. Charlie can take care of him and then put him back in the wild!"

"Brilliant!" said Ron. "How about it, Hagrid?"

And in the end, Hagrid agreed that they could send an owl to Charlie to ask him.

The following week dragged by. Wednesday night found Hermione and Lily sitting alone in the common room, long after everyone else had gone to bed. The clock on the wall had just

chimed midnight when the portrait hole burst open. Ron and Harry appeared out of nowhere as they pulled off Harry's invisibility cloak. They both had been down at Hagrid's hut, helping him feed Norbert, who was now eating dead rats by the crate.

"It bit me!" Ron exclaimed, showing them his hand, which was wrapped in a bloody handkerchief. "I'm not going to be able to hold a quill for a week. I tell you, that dragon's the most horrible animal I've ever met, but the way Hagrid goes on about it, you'd think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit. When it bit me he told me off for frightening it. And when I left, he was singing it a lullaby."

There was a tap on the dark window.

"It's Pickles!" said Lily, hurrying to let her in. "She'll have Charlie's answer!"

The four of them put their heads together to read the note.

 _Dear Ron,_

 _How are you? Thanks for the letter - I'd be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won't be easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit me next week. Trouble is, they mustn't be seen carrying an illegal dragon._

 _Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and take him away while it's still dark._

 _Send me an answer as soon as possible._

 _Love,_

 _Charlie_

They looked at one another.

"We've got the invisibility cloak," said Harry. "It shouldn't be too difficult - I think the cloaks big enough to cover two of us and Norbert."

It was a mark of how bad the last week had been that the other three agreed with him. Anything to get rid of Norbert - and Malfoy.

There was a hitch. By the next morning, Ron's bitten hand had swollen to twice its usual size. He didn't know whether it was safe to go to Madam Pomfrey - would she recognize a dragon bite? By the afternoon, though, he had no choice. The cut had turned a nasty shade of green. It looked as if Norbert's fangs were poisonous.

Lily, Harry and Hermione rushed up to the hospital wing at the end of the day to find Ron in a terrible state in bed.

"It's not just my hand," he whispered, "although that feels like it's about to fall off. Malfoy told Madam Pomfrey he wanted to borrow one of my books so he could come and have a good laugh at me. He kept threatening to tell her what really bit me - I've told her it was a dog, but I don't think she believes me -I shouldn't have hit him at the Quidditch match, that's why he's doing this."

Lily, Harry and Hermione tried to calm Ron down.

"It'll all be over at midnight on Saturday," said Hermione, but this didn't soothe Ron at all. On the contrary, he sat bolt upright and broke into a sweat.

"Midnight on Saturday!" he said in a hoarse voice. "Oh no oh no - I've just remembered - Charlie's letter was in that book Malfoy took, he's going to know we're getting rid of Norbert."

The other three didn't get a chance to answer. Madam Pomfrey came over at that moment and made them leave, saying Ron needed sleep.

"It's too late to change the plan now," Harry told Hermione and Lily, who rolled her eyes. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "We haven't got time to send Charlie another owl, and this could be our only chance to get rid of Norbert. We'll have to risk it. And we have got the invisibility cloak, Malfoy doesn't know about that."

Whilst Harry and Hermione went down to Hagrids to pick up Norbet and take him to the astronomy tower, Lily stayed behind in the common room, finishing off her essay for professor Sprout.

"And...Done!' With a final flick of her quill, Lily sat back.

'Ah Miss Potter!

"And what would you be doing on this fine evening all alone?'

The Weasley twins had once again, appeared from nowhere, startling Lily so bad she almost fell of the couch.

"I'm relishing in this peace and quiet."

The twins pulled a face. "Why would you want to have Peace and Quiet, when you can have mayhem and noise?" George asked her.

"Because, sometimes peace and quiet's what you need.' Lily sent a smile at the two redheaded boys. "Not that's what you need. You two Literally live for Mayhem and noise." She added.

"Well, It'd be very boring without it.' Fred said thoughtfully.

"I think it'd just be very boring without you two around.' Lily grinned. "Anyways, why aren't you two blowing up the dungeons or something?'

"Well, we already did that so...' George trailed off.

'Oh, and we gave Mrs Norris a kick from you earlier today too. Noisy cat, she is."

"Thanks Fred, she really is the worst cat alive, hey? That was a rhetorical question.' Lily added as Fred opened his mouth to reply.

"Right.'

"Oh, have you seen your brother by the way? Percy, I mean." Lily asked. she hadn't seen him since around two hours ago.

"Last time I saw him, he was going to his dorm.' George supplied.

Probably studying, Lily though. "I'll leave him alone then.' Lily said.

"Why? Has he done something?"

"What- No, of course not, I was just wondering. Hmm, I have to finish that potions essay off later...' Lily added to herself.

'Come on, Don't go all 'Percy' on us just yet. Between him and Wood... I don't know how those two can share a dorm together, let alone be friends together."

As if they needed proof- "Mud on my Star chart! Mud on the Rug! Mud on my books!' Came Percy's voice.

Lily burst out laughing. "Last year it was even worse. Somehow, Wood manage to get mud on Percy's rat.' George grinned.

'Where's my strategics! There were here last night!" This time is was Wood's voice that echoed.

'Who care's about Quidditch?"

"Who cares about classes?" Lily and Fred and George let out snorts.

'But essays!"

"Quiddtch is more important!

'And I'm Qudditch captain!

"I'm Head boy!"

Lily burst out into guffaws.

"Us Two and Lee usually bet what'll be best of friends, but as soon as there's mud on something, or Wood can't revise his quidditch things, its like...

"-World War Three?' Asked Lily. 'Oh, Muggle thing.' she added for the twins sake.

'Er sure. Anyways, What have you and your brother, Ron and Er... That very... studious girl being sneaking around for?'

Lily bit her lip. The more people that knew about Fluffy, and the Philospher's stone, the better. It might stop Quirrel for a while.

'Y'know that forbidden corridor?' Lily asked.

"The one with the three-headed dog in it?'

'What? You know about that?' Lily blinked rapidly. Well, this changed things a little.

'Well, Me, Harry, Ron and Hermione did some poking around, and to put it short, that is Hagrid's Cerberus, Fluffy, it's name is, and It's guarding the Philospher's stone.

Oh, And Ron's in the hospital wing because he got bitten by Hagrid's baby Norwegian Ridgeback, that hatched a week ago.' Lily spoke very fast. "And Tonight Harry and Hermione are meeting some of your brother, Charlie's friends at the astronomy tower to take it to the Dragon reserve he works at. And Harry, Ron and Hermione thinks Snape is trying to steal the stone, but my moneys on Quirrell.'

Fred and George's expressions didn't change one bit.

'Don't tell me you knew all this too.' Lily said exasperated.

"Well, No, Not all of it.'

'We knew about little dear Norbet and the whole Snape and Quirrell fiasco-"

'And, er, Fluffy, We knew he wasn't there by just plain accident-'

"-Yeah, we're not that daft!' The twins finished together. 'How on earth do you know all of this?' Lily asked scandalised. Maybe they hadn't been as discreet as they'd though they had been.

"We have our ways!' The Twins waggled their eyebrows. 'I don't doubt it.' Lily muttered. The Twins would fit right into Slytherin sometimes. Lily didn't dare voice this opinion aloud, she'd probably end up offending the Weasley name.

It was very late when Harry and Hermione got back, and to Lily's surprise, Neville was with them too. Lily took one look at Hermione and Neville's teary face, and at Harry's upset one, to know something had gone terribly wrong.

'What happened?' Lily asked.

'Well, we got Norbert to Charlie's friends alright, but on the way down we forgot the invisibility cloak, and we were caught by McGonagall, who had Neville. She had Malfoy too, He was trying to tell her about Norbert and how we'd be at the astronomy tower. McGonagall thought we'd told him that to get into trouble, so we all have detention." Harry told her.

'That's not too bad then.' Lily sighed with relief.

'No, the worst part is she took a hundred and fifty points of Gryffindor.' When Harry said that, Hermione let out a wail, and ran up the girls dormitory stairs.

'No, but-but that mean we're way behind Slytherin now. Even if we won the Quidditch cup, we'd lose the House cup. Everyone's going to hate you.' Apparently that was the wrong thing to say, because Neville let out a wail this time, and raced up the stairs to the boys dormitorys, and Harry let out a huff and stormed away.

'Wait-I didn't mean-' Lily sighed and sunk back down on the couch. She didn't know if she was more relieved about Norbert being gone, or more upset at the face they had basically lost the House Cup right there and then.

Then she groaned. Percy, and Wood and even the Weasley twins, weren't going to be very happy. Sure, the twins lost points all the time, but never as many as a hundred and fifty.

"Merlin help them,' Lily said aloud, 'Because God knows he won't.'


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10-

Lily didn't sleep all night. She could hear Hermione sobbing into her pillow for what seemed like hours. Lily couldn't think of anything to say to comfort her. She knew Hermione was dreading the dawn. Lily was too, and she felt so bad for Harry, Hermione and poor Neville, who got roped into their scheming plan. What would happen when the rest of Gryffindor found out what those three had done?

At first, Gryffindors passing the giant hourglasses that recorded the house points the next day thought there'd been a mistake. How could they suddenly have a hundred and fifty points fewer than yesterday? And then the story started to spread: Harry Potter, the famous Harry Potter, their hero of two Quidditch matches, had lost them all those points, him and a couple of other stupid first years.

From being one of the most popular and admired people at the school, Harry was suddenly the most hated, And Lily got some of that hate too; Some people thought she had been involved, and the other people though ill of her for sticking by her brother. Even Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs turned on him, because everyone had been longing to see Slytherin lose the house cup. Everywhere Harry went, people pointed and didn't trouble to lower their voices as they insulted him. Slytherins, on the other hand, clapped as he walked past them, whistling and cheering, "Thanks Potter, we owe you one!"

Only Lily and Ron stuck by him

"They'll all forget this in a few weeks. Fred and George have lost loads of points in all the time they've been here, and people still like them."

"They've never lost a hundred and fifty points in one go, though, have they?" said Harry miserably.

"Well - no," Ron admitted.

"Don't worry about it Harry, losing the house cup is better than losing our Game Keeper." Ron nodded agreeably with her.

It was a bit late to repair the damage, but Lily swore to herself not to meddle in things that weren't her business from now on. She'd had it with sneaking around and spying. She felt so ashamed of herself that she went to Wood and offered to resign from the Quidditch team. Harry did the same.

"Resign?" Wood thundered. "What good'll that do? How are we going to get any points back if we can't win at Quidditch?"

But even Quidditch had lost its fun. The rest of the team wouldn't speak to Harry, or even Lily, during practice, and if they had to speak about them, they called him "the Seeker." and Lily "The Chaser."

Hermione and Neville were suffering, too. They didn't have as bad a time as Harry or Lily, because they weren't as well-known, but nobody would speak to them, either. Hermione had stopped drawing attention to herself in class, keeping her head down and working in silence.

Lily was almost glad that the exams weren't far away. All the studying she had to do kept her mind off her and Harry's misery. Her, Harry, Ron, and Hermione kept to themselves, working late into the night, trying to remember the ingredients in complicated potions, learn charms and spells by heart, memorize the dates of magical discoveries and goblin rebellions...

Then, about a week before the exams were due to start, Lily's new resolution not to interfere in anything that didn't concern her was put to an unexpected test. Walking back from the library on his own one afternoon, She and Harry heard somebody whimpering from a classroom up ahead. As the Potter Twins drew closer, they heard Quirrell's voice.

"No - no - not again, please -"

It sounded as though someone was threatening him. Lily and Harry moved closer.

"All right - all right -" they heard Quirrell sob.

Next second, Quirrell came hurrying out of the classroom straightening his turban. He was pale and looked as though he was about to cry. He strode out of sight; Lily didn't think Quirrell had even noticed them. They waited until Quirrell's footsteps had disappeared, then peered into the classroom. It was empty, but a door stood ajar at the other end. Harry was already half-way towards it.

All the same, she'd have gambled twelve Sorcerer's Stones that Harry was thinking Snape had just left the room, and from what they'd had just heard, Snape would be walking with a new spring in his step - Quirrell seemed to have given in at last.

Lily managed to drag Harry back to the library, where Hermione was testing Ron on Astronomy. Harry told them what he'd heard, however, Lily stayed silent. Despite all she had said for Snape, this was oddly fishy...

"Snape's done it, then!" said Ron. "If Quirrell's told him how to break his Anti-Dark Force spell -"

"There's still Fluffy, though," said Hermione.

"Maybe Snape's found out how to get past him without asking Hagrid," said Ron, looking up at the thousands of books surrounding them. "I bet there's a book somewhere in here telling you how to get past a giant three-headed dog. So what do we do, Harry?"

The light of adventure was kindling again in Ron's eyes, but Hermione answered before Harry could.

"Go to Dumbledore. That's what we should have done ages ago. If we try anything ourselves we'll be thrown out for sure."

"But we've got no proof!" said Harry. "Quirrell's too scared to back us up. Snape's only got to say he doesn't know how the troll got in at Halloween and that he was nowhere near the third floor-And don't say you still believe it's Quirrell, Lily- who do you think they'll believe, him or us? It's not exactly a secret we hate him, Dumbledore'll think we made it up to get him sacked. Filch wouldn't help us if his life depended on it, he's too friendly with Snape, and the more students get thrown out, the better, he'll think. And don't forget, we're not supposed to know about the Stone or Fluffy. That'll take a lot of explaining."

Hermione looked convinced, but Ron didn't.

"If we just do a bit of poking around -"

"No," Jumped in Lily flatly, "we've done enough poking around-And yes, I'll admit it, it does seem to point to Snape now, doesn't it?' Lily was already regretting saying that.

'Ha! See, you finally admitted it! Just because you're Snape's favourite doesn't mean you have to defend him.' Ron burst out.

Lily sighed and rolled her eyes. "It's got nothing to do with Snape playing favourites with me just because I look like my dead mother.' She said hotly.

Ron and Hermione looked taken aback, and Harry looked like he had wanted to cut in, but decided to keep his mouth shut. Wise decision, thought Lily.

She pulled a map of Jupiter towards her and started to learn the names of its moons.

The following morning, notes were delivered to Harry, Hermione, and Neville at the breakfast table. They were all the same:

 _Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight. Meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall._

 _Professor McGonagall_

Lily and the others had forgotten about the detentions the three had to do in the favour over the points they'd lost. She half expected Hermione to complain that this was a whole night of studying lost, but she didn't say a word. Lily knew, that Like Harry, she felt they deserved what they'd got.

At eleven o'clock, Harry, Hermione and Neville headed out to meet Filch, who would be taking them down to Hagrids, to do only Merlin knew what.

Lily and Ron had opted to play a few games of chess to pass time. "I don't get it.' Said Ron aloud in a sudden.

Lily started, and blinked in an owlish manner.

"Get what?' she frowned.

"Why Snape would want the stone, That's what. I mean, sure, being immortal and being filthy rich, but... There had to be another reason for wanting it. And don't even mention Quirrell, because like Snape, why would he want that stone so desperately, not that I'm saying I believe you about Quirrell now."

Lily frowned. Ron had a point, why would either Snape or Quirrell, want that blasted stone so badly.

'I dunno Ron, but I don't want to become even more involved with this. First it was fluffy, and then that dragon, that you got bitten by, remember? What could possibly be next?" She asked. Ron opened his mouth, but shut it straight away.

Lily knew that Ron knew she had a point, what was going to be next, and how much more dangerous was it going to be?

Time passed, and Lily and Ron soon found themselves falling asleep slowly. Just as Lily was starting to drift off, a searing pain, worse than any others, in her forehead, more specifically her scar, made her jerk away. 'Argh!' She clapped a hand to her head. The pain was like white-hot fire in her scar.

'Lily! What's wrong?' Ron had become wide-awake, and was hesitating whether or not to come near her. The pain in her scar kept on getting worse though. Just as she felt she was going to pass out from the amount of pain, it stopped. Abruptly, As soon as it had started it. When Lily got her breath back, she spoke.

"My scar. It felt like it was on fire.'

'Bloody Hell! Your scar, it's bleeding.' Ron's eyes had become fully wide now at the side of Lily's scar, which was red and inflamed, like she had just gotten it.

A droplet of blood trickled down Lily's face.

'We should tell McGonagall-" "No, that won't do any good, we should wait til the others get back." And somehow, Lily's words had remained final.

Ron had fallen asleep in the dark common room, waiting for them to return, thought Lily had remain wide awake as she stared into the glowing embers of the fire. He shouted something about Quidditch fouls when Lily roughly shook him awake when Harry and Hermione returned. In a matter of seconds, though, he was wide-eyed as Harry began to tell him and Hermione what had happened in the forest.

"My scar!' Lily blurted out. Harry looked at her strangely.

"When we were waiting for you earlier, it was like it was on fire, and it bled too." Lily explained.  
'That's what mine felt like, like I was gonna pass out.' Lily nodded in agreement.

"Snape wants the stone for Voldemort... and Voldemort's waiting in the forest... and all this time we thought Snape just wanted to get rich..."

"Stop saying the name!" said Ron in a terrified whisper, as if he thought Voldemort could hear them.

He and Lily did share a look now, Whether it was Snape or Quirrell out for the stone, they both knew now why they wanted it so badly.

Harry wasn't listening on the otherhand.

"Firenze saved me, but he shouldn't have done so... Bane was furious... he was talking about interfering with what the planets say is going to happen... They must show that Voldemort's coming back... Bane thinks Firenze should have let Voldemort kill me... I suppose that's written in the stars as well."

"Will you stop saying the name!" Ron hissed. Lily punched him on the arm. 'Toughen up.' she glared at him. Ron winced and looked away.

"So all I've got to wait for now is Snape to steal the Stone," Harry went on feverishly, "then Voldemort will be able to come and finish me off... Well, I suppose Bane'll be happy."

'You?' Lily asked hotly. Why did Harry always seem to forget about her, and Ron and Hermione.

Hermione looked very frightened, but she had a word of comfort.

"Harry, everyone says Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of With Dumbledore around, You-Know-Who won't touch you. Anyway, who says the centaurs are right? It sounds like fortune-telling to me, and Professor McGonagall says that's a very imprecise branch of magic."

The sky had turned light before they stopped talking. They went to bed exhausted, their throats sore. But the night's surprises weren't over.

When Lily pulled back her sheets, there was the invisibility cloak, with a note pinned on top:

 _Just in case._

Lily smiled widely, and lay back down on her bed, the feeling of exhaustion taking over her mind and clouding her thoughts.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11-

In years to come, Lily would never quite remember how sshe had managed to get through his exams when she half expected Voldemort to come bursting through the door at any moment. Yet the days crept by, and there could be no doubt that Fluffy was still alive and well behind the locked door.

It was sweltering hot, especially in the large classroom where they did their written papers. They had been given special, new quills for the exams, which had been bewitched with an Anti-Cheating spell.

They had practical exams as well. Professor Flitwick called them one by one into his class to see if they could make a pineapple tap dance across a desk. Professor McGonagall watched them turn a mouse into a snuffbox - points were given for how pretty the snuffbox was, but taken away if it had whiskers. Snape made them all nervous, breathing down their necks while they tried to remember how to make a Forgetfulness potion.

Lily did the best she could, trying to ignore the stabbing pains in her forehead, which had been bothering her ever since Harry and Hermione's trip into the forest. Hermione had thought Lily had a bad case of exam nerves because she couldn't sleep, but the truth was that Lily kept being woken by her old nightmare, except that it was now worse than ever because there was a hooded figure dripping blood in it, just like Harry had seen. So of course, Hermione made Lilt study more, not that she minded as it took her mind of things for a short amount of time.

Lily hadn't seen much of Percy either. He had his O.W.L.'s, so he and Oliver were cooped up in their dorm or the Library, much to the obvious chagrin of Oliver, who felt he needed to have more training for his Quidditch team. Typical Oliver, Lily had thought.

Maybe it was because they hadn't seen what Harry had seen in the forest, or because they didn't have scars burning on their foreheads, but Ron and Hermione didn't seem as worried about the Stone as Lily and Harry. The idea of Voldemort certainly scared them, but he didn't keep visiting them in dreams, and they were so busy with their studying they didn't have much time to fret about what Snape or anyone else might be up to.

Their very last exam was History of Magic. One hour of answering questions about batty old wizards who'd invented selfstirring cauldrons and they'd be free, free for a whole wonderful week until their exam results came out. When the ghost of Professor Binns told them to put down their quills and roll up their parchment, Lily couldn't help cheering with the rest ("Whoo! We're free!").

"That was far easier than I thought it would be," said Hermione as they joined the crowds flocking out onto the sunny grounds. "I needn't have learned about the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or the uprising of Elfric the Eager."

Hermione always liked to go through their exam papers afterward, but Ron said this made him feel ill, so they wandered down to the lake and flopped under a tree. The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan were tickling the tentacles of a giant squid, which was basking in the warm shallows. "No more studying," Ron sighed happily, stretching out on the grass. "You could look more cheerful, Harry, we've got a week before we find out how badly we've done, there's no need to worry yet."

Lily wandered over to the twins. "Hey Lily.' They called out together.

Lily grinned, and bent down to tickle a tentacle. "Ooh, it feels weird.' she giggled.

'Watch this,' Lee said. The dark-skinned boy waded out a little into the lake, and climbed aboard the tentacle. Lily let our giggles as the squid began to swim away, with Lee standing astride.

"See, look how-' Lee was cut off as he slipped on the squids slippery skin, and hurtled into the water before.

Lily laughed so hard, that she collapsed into the water, the twins not far behind her.

Still grinning, Lily walked towards the others, sopping wet, where Harry was rubbing his forehead.

"I wish I knew what this means!" he burst out angrily. "My scar keeps hurting - it's happened before, but never as often as this."

"Go to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione suggested.

"I'm not ill," said Harry. "I think it's a warning... it means danger's coming..." Lily bit her lip. She wanted to go back to Fred, George and Lee, where no discussions of cursed scars and dark lords were around.

Ron couldn't get worked up, it was too hot.

"Harry, relax, Hermione's right, the Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around. Anyway, we've never had any proof Snape found out how to get past Fluffy. He nearly had his leg ripped off once, he's not going to try it again in a hurry. And Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down."

Harry nodded, And started to try and share his concern.

Hermione said, "That's just the exams. I woke up last night and was halfway through my Transfiguration notes before I remembered we'd done that one."

Lily was quite sure the unsettled feeling didn't have anything to do with work, though. She watched an owl flutter toward the school across the bright blue sky, a note clamped in its mouth.

Lily peeled her wet self of the grass, and with a hasty "See you later, then." she ran off back to Fred and George. Lee was nowhere to be seen though.

As Lily reached the tree near the Weasley twins, something dropped down infront of her. 'Howdy.' Lee was grinning as Lily held her heart, feeling as though she had experienced her hundredth mini heart-attack. When those three were around, Lily didn't know why she wasn't used to this yet. '

'Funny, I really wish you'd stop doing that.' Lily glared.

Fred let out a snort of laughter. 'You almost sound like Percy, there. How is that prat anyhow?' He asked.

'Your Brother is just fine, which you would know if you bothered to suck in your pride and actually hold a decent conversation with him for once.'

"Keep dreaming then.' Lee shook his head. 'I'll just do that, then.' She muttered.

'What are the Golden Trio up too?'

Lily frowned. 'What Golden Trio?' She asked confusedly.

'Oh, that's what everyone calls Harry, Ron and Hermione." Enlightened George.

"What about me?' Lily someone hurt by this.

"Well, you're closer to Percy, and us too, aren't you? and Harry's closer to our brother, and that very Percy-like girl than you are.' One of the twins said.

'Hmm, I guess... They don't really have any other friends, do they?' Lily mused aloud as she watched the 'Golden Trio' Run off towards Hagrids hut.

'And Me and Harry have sort of drifted apart since we came to Hogwarts...' Lily added.

'Yeah, it's a little strange, how you're twins, but your not as close as these two are.' Lee gestured towards Fred and George.

Lily frowned.

'Don't worry, you can be our triplet, you certainly look it.' Lily grinned.

She was quite tall for her age, taller than Harry. She wondered if her Mother was this tall at her age.

'We look nothing alike, do we. Harry looks like a spitting image of Dad, but with green eyes, and I look exactly like Mum. It's why Snape likes me so much, you so, Because he and my Mother were friends at Hogwarts.' Lily said. She didn't know whether to be sad or happy at the fact she looked so much like her mother.

Lee and the Twins exchanged a glance. They weren't sure what to say to that. 'Anyways, it's getting dark out, and I want to find your brother too.' Lily added climbing to her feet. Clumps of dirt and grass stuck to her clothes, making her itch.

The four walked towards the entrance hall, skipping and laughing. That ended when they came to an abrupt halt, seeing Snape tapping his foot with a sneer on his face. 'Tut tut- past curfew, aren't we.' He said in a drawling voice. 'Actually, Sir, the curfew for being outside starts at seven-thirty, it's only seven o'clock now.'Lily said with an angelic face.

To The weasley Twins and Lee's surprise, Snape's face softened, very much. He muttered something that sounded funnily like "My Lily was always on time too.", though they couldn't really be one hundred percent sure. Then Snape's face changed again. 'You wouldn't happen to know, what your...brother,' Snape said that single word with so much detest, "Is up too, now would you?' Lily frowned. What on earth could Harry be up too now? He had promised her he wouldn't meddle in things that weren't his business.

'Er, No, sorry Professor.' Lily lifted her hand to scratch her head. She noticed how Snape's eyes fell on the magical charm bracelet she still had on her wrist.

Her eyes widened. Stupid, she thought to herself, Of course! the lion and snake on the bracelet was a symbol for Gryffindor and Slytherin. Lily could've slapped herself.

'Thanks, for the bracelet.' And with that, Lily ran off, the twins and Lee right behind her.

'Er, what bracelet?' Lee finally asked. 'Oh, for Christmas he gave me this,' she held up her wrist to show the bracelet. 'He gave it to my Mum when they were in school.' She added.

silence followed, apart from their footsteps as the climbed the last set of staircases, and came to a stop at the Fat Lady. Fred gave the password, and the new quartet clambered through the portrait hole. The first thing Lily spied was 'The Golden Trio.' in the corner, whispering furiously. 'What are you up too now?' Lily demanded. 'Nothing.' the three chorused. Fine, Lily thought, If they wanted it to be that way, then that was the way they could have it.

'Well, Fred, George, Lee, I'm going to visit your brother, I haven't talked to him for ages.'

Lily sprinted up the boy's dormitory stairs. Hmm... fourth years, fifth years, sixth years... "Aha! found you.' Lily muttered to herself. She knocked on the wooden door. There was some scrambling, then The door opened to reveal Percy. 'Ah, Lily. Excellent, come in.'

Lily's eyes widened as she caught sight of the dorm. Exactly one half was neat and tidy, with rows of books set on a neat desk, cleaned to perfection, the other half had mud and quidditch gear everywhere, along with chocolate frog wrappers. The desk on that side was messy, with paper and books everywhere.

'Well, I can certainly tell who lives here.' Lily said aloud.

Oliver was laying on his bed, throwing a round, smooth ball of something into the air, and catching it. 'Hey Wood.' Lily said. Oliver started, and the ball dropped onto his chest.

Oliver made an "Oof." sound, and sat up. 'Hello Lily, been keeping up with Quidditch? Puddlemere United ha-'

Percy cut Oliver off. 'No one cares about Puddlemere United, Oliver. I keep telling you that.' He said exasperated.

Lily snorted, and sat on Percy's pristine made bed. 'Careful not to wrinkle the sheets, will you?' Percy asked.

'Of course not Perce"

"It's Percy.'

'Sure.'

Percy Rolled his eyes. 'Oy, give me one.' Lily said as Oliver pulled out a box of chocolate frogs. He tossed one to Lily, who caught it perfectly.

'Those aren't good for you, You do realise?" Lily rolled her eyes at Percy's mothering antics.

Lily stayed with Percy and Oliver for a few hours, chatting mostly about nothing important, or Quidditch, or classes, which Lily rolled her eyes at. Eventually, she left, and headed down to sit by the fire in the common room, the yellow and orange flickering light grazing over the room. Lily sat in an armchair by the fire, and pulled out her potions text, to read over again, and make more notes.

Lily stared as Harry, Ron and Hermione came down the staircase. Harry was clutching the invisibility cloak, with a determined look on his face.

"What are you doing?" Lily asked, Appearing from behind her armchair, clutching her book with a frown on her face.

"Nothing, Lily, nothing," said Harry, hurriedly putting the cloak behind his back.

Lily stared at their guilty faces. What weren't they telling her? She did deserve to know, didn't she? At least, Lily thought she didn't.

"What aren't you telling me?" she said.

"Nothing," The three of them cried, but the shifty look on Harry's face gave it all away.

Lily noticed how Harry looked at the grandfather clock by the door.

'Fine. Fine, just don't expect me to- I'll just stay out of your way then, Yeah?' Lily said, hurt more than she'd ever been hurt by Malfoy, or even Dudley. Maybe it was because these were her actual friends, and her brother.

Harry, Ron and Hermione Looked away guiltily, but clambered out the portrait hole anyways. Lily huffed, and sat back in her chair. 'Wretched secrets. Sometimes I wish I'd never come to Hogwarts.' Lily sighed aloud,

'Why would you wish that?' Lily jumped at the sudden intrusion. She looked up, startled, to see one of the Weasley twins, George, Lily was ninety-nine percent sure it was, anyways, standing on the last step of the staircase. Lily looked away, almost ashamed. If her friends had heard that, what would they think? Probably the worst.

'It's just...Twin problems, though I don't think you and Fred ever get them,' Lily said with a small, but sad smile. George shrugged and sat down on the armchair opposite her. 'Harry...He's not telling me as much as he used to, As when we first got here.' Lily sighed, and folded her feet beneath her, flicking her hair out of her eyes.

'Just punch him in the nose, and he'll be telling you all his deepest, darkest secrets.' George said with a grin. Lily snorted. 'Of course he will be, I throw a wicked punch. Broke Malfoy's nose once too.' She added, smiling slightly at the memory.

Lily smothered a yawn with the sleeve of her jumper. 'You should go to bed, get a good nights sleep, or whatever people say,' Lily let out a chortle.

'You say something...er adviceful, if that's a word, and then ruin it,' She shook her head. 'Anyways, I might just do that, I am pretty tired. Goodnight.' Lily smiled softly, and stood up, still clutching her potions textbook, and Walked slowly up the staircase to her dorm.

Lily slept a full nights sleep, that night. It had been quite a while since she had one of them.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12-

"You Idiot! You utter, complete-"

"Ahem."

Lily paused mid-rant, as Dumbledore interrupted her. As soon as she had heard that apparently Harry had faced off Voldemort, she had rushed to the hospital wing, to make sure her brother was still alive. Just so she could have the joy of killing him herself.

"If Miss Potter shall let me explain, Harry?' Dumbledore asked in a questioning matter. She had the decency to blush, and sat down on the edge of Harry's bed. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, and he resumed talking.

"We must have crossed in mid-air. No sooner had I reached London than it became clear to me that the place I should be was the one I had just left. I arrived just in time to pull Quirrell off you."

'Ha! It was Quirrell!" Lily Burst out. Harry scowled at her, whilst the headmaster looked merely amused.

"So it was you."

"I feared I might be too late." Lily worried her lip. What if Dumbledore had been too late? Lily shook her head, she didn't even want to think about that.

"You nearly were, I couldn't have kept him off the Stone much longer -"

"Not the Stone, boy, you - the effort involved nearly killed you. For one terrible moment there, I was afraid it had. As for the Stone, it has been destroyed."

"Destroyed?" said Lily and Harry blankly. "But your friend - Nicolas Flamel -"

"Oh, you know about Nicolas?" said Dumbledore, sounding quite delighted. "You did do the thing properly, didn't you? Well, Nicolas and I have had a little chat, and agreed it's all for the best."

"But that means he and his wife will die, won't they?"

"They have enough Elixir stored to set their affairs in order and then, yes, they will die."

Dumbledore smiled at the look of amazement on The Potter twins face.

"To one as young as you, I'm sure it seems incredible, but to Nicolas and Perenelle, it really is like going to bed after a very, very long day. After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. You know, the Stone was really not such a wonderful thing. As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all - the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them." Both Potters there, lost for words. Dumbledore hummed a little and smiled at the ceiling.

"Sir?" said Harry. "I've been thinking... sir - even if the Stone's gone, Vol-, I mean, You-Know- Who -"

"Call him Voldemort, Harry. Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself." Lily thought at how true that was. She'd have to remember that line, and use it every time Ron flinched at the name. He would surely hate her for that.

"Yes, sir. Well, Voldemort's going to try other ways of coming back, isn't he? I mean, he hasn't gone, has he?"

"No, Harry, he has not. He is still out there somewhere, perhaps looking for another body to share... not being truly alive, he cannot be killed. He left Quirrell to die; he shows just as little mercy to his followers as his enemies. Nevertheless, Harry, while you may only have delayed his return to power, it will merely take someone else who is prepared to fight what seems a losing battle next time - and if he is delayed again, and again, why, he may never return to power."

Lily severely hoped Voldemort would never return to full power. Then Harry said, "Sir, there are some other things I'd like to know, if you can tell me... things I want to know the truth about... Probably both of us," Harry added, glancing at Lily.

"The truth." Dumbledore sighed. "It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution. However, I shall answer your questions unless I have a very good reason not to, in which case I beg you'll forgive me. I shall not, of course, lie."

"Well... Voldemort said that he only killed our mother because she tried to stop him from killing me, us. But why would he want to kill Lily and I in the first place?"

Dumbledore sighed very deeply this time.

"Alas, the first thing you ask me, I cannot tell you. Not today. Not now. You will know, one day... put it from your mind for now, Harry, Lily. When you are older... I know you hate to hear this... when you are ready, you will know."

And Lily knew it would be no good to argue.

"But why couldn't Quirrell touch me? And I'm sure if Lily were there he wouldn't have been able to touch her either, right?"

"Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign... to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin. Quirrell, full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, could not touch you for this reason. It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good."

Dumbledore now became very interested in a bird out on the windowsill, which gave Lily time to dry her eyes on the sheet. When she had found her voice again, Lily said, "And the invisibility cloak - do you know who sent it to us?"

"Ah - your father happened to leave it in my possession, and I thought you might like it." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Useful things... your father used it mainly for sneaking off to the kitchens to steal food when he was here."

"And there's something else..." Harry added.

"Fire away."

"Quirrell said Snape -"

"Professor Snape, Harry." "Yes, him - Quirrell said he hates me because he hated my father. Is that true?"

"Well, they did rather detest each other. Not unlike yourself and Mr. Malfoy. And then, your father did something Snape could never forgive."

"What?"

"He saved his life."

"What?"

"Yes..." said Dumbledore dreamily. "Funny, the way people's minds work, isn't it? Professor Snape couldn't bear being in your father's debt... I do believe he worked so hard to protect you this year because he felt that would make him and your father even. Then he could go back to hating your father's memory in peace..."

"What about me? Why does Snape-Er professor Snape, Like me so much?' Lily blurted out.

"Because, my dear, you remind him very much like your mother, in every aspect. She was very dear to him. And you are exceptional at potions, another reason for you to be his most-liked student.' Dumbledore's eyes still twinkled, but a sad smiled played on his face. Lily smiled slightly.

"And sir, there's one more thing..." Harry trailed off.

"Just the one?"

"How did I get the Stone out of the mirror?" Lily looked confused, she knew she did. What mirror was Harry talking about? Not the Mirror of Erised...

"Ah, now, I'm glad you asked me that. It was one of my more brilliant ideas, and between you and me, that's saying something. You see, only one who wanted to find the Stone - find it, but not use it - would be able to get it, otherwise they'd just see themselves making gold or drinking Elixir of Life. My brain surprises even me sometimes... Now, enough questions. I suggest you make a start on these sweets. Ah! Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans! I was unfortunate enough in my youth to come across a vomit flavored one, and since then I'm afraid I've rather lost my liking for them - but I think I'll be safe with a nice toffee, don't you?"

He smiled and popped the golden-brown bean into his mouth. Then he choked and said, "Alas! Ear wax!" Lily grinned.

Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was a nice woman, but very strict.

"Just five minutes," Harry pleaded.

"Absolutely not." Lily pulled a face.

"You let Professor Dumbledore in..." Lily thanked Harry silently she wasn't mentioned, it had seemed the matron had forgotten about her.

"Well, of course, that was the headmaster, quite different. You need rest."

"I am resting, look, lying down and everything. Oh, go on, Madam Pomfrey..."

"Oh, very well," she said. "But five minutes only."

And she let Ron and Hermione in.

"Harry!"

Hermione looked ready to fling her arms around Harry again, but held herself in.

"Oh, Harry, we were sure you were going to - Dumbledore was so worried -"

"The whole school's talking about it," said Ron. "What really happened?"

It was one of those rare occasions when the true story is even more strange and exciting than the wild rumors. Harry told them everything: Quirrell; the mirror; the Stone; and Voldemort. Ron and Hermione and Lily, who knew what was actually going on nowm were a very good audience; they gasped in all the right places, and when Harry told them what was under Quirrell's turban, Hermione screamed out loud and Lily's eyes bulged.

"So the Stone's gone?" said Ron finally. "Flamel's just going to die?"

"That's what I said, but Dumbledore thinks that - what was it? - 'to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.

"I always said he was off his rocker," said Ron, looking quite impressed at how crazy his hero was.

"So what happened to you two?" said Harry.

"Well, I got back all right," said Hermione. "I brought Ron round - that took a while - and we were dashing up to the owlery to contact Dumbledore when we met him in the entrance hall - he already knew - he just said, 'Harry's gone after him, hasn't he?' and hurtled off to the third floor."

"D'you think he meant you to do it?" said Ron. "Sending you your father's cloak and everything?" Lily snorted.

"Well, " Hermione exploded, "if he did - I mean to say that's terrible - you could have been killed."

"No, it isn't," said Harry thoughtfully. "He's a funny man, Dumbledore. I think he sort of wanted to give me a chance. I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know. I reckon he had a pretty good idea we were going to try, and instead of stopping us, he just taught us enough to help. I don't think it was an accident he let me find out how the mirror worked. It's almost like he thought I had the right to face Voldemort if I could..." Lily remained silent.

"Yeah, Dumbledore's off his rocker, all right," said Ron proudly. "Listen, you've got to be up for the end-of-year feast tomorrow. The points are all in and Slytherin won, of course - you missed the last Quidditch match, we were steamrollered by Ravenclaw without you-Ask Lily - but the food'll be good."

At that moment, Madam Pomfrey bustled over.

"You've had nearly fifteen minutes, now OUT" she said firmly.

"No more secrets, please?' Lily asked.

"No more secrets.' Harry, Ron and Hermione promised.

When Harry walked into the Great Hall, there was a sudden hush, and then everybody started talking loudly at once. He slipped into a seat between Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table across from Lily and tried to ignore the fact that people were standing up to look at him.

Fortunately, Dumbledore arrived moments later. The babble died away.

"Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were... you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts...

"Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy- two."

A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table. Lily could see Draco Malfoy banging his goblet on the table. It was a sickening sight and she made a fist.

"Yes, Yes, well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore. "However, recent events must be taken into account."

The room went very still. The Slytherins' smiles faded a little.

"Ahem," said Dumbledore. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes...

"First - to Mr. Ronald Weasley..."

Ron went purple in the face; he looked like a radish with a bad sunburn.

"...for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

Gryffindor cheers nearly raised the bewitched ceiling; the stars overhead seemed to quiver. Percy could be heard telling the other prefects, "My brother, you know! My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!" Lily grinned, and whooped.

At last there was silence again.

"Second - to Miss Hermione Granger... for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

Hermione buried her face in her arms; Lily strongly suspected she had burst into tears. Gryffindors up and down the table were beside themselves - they were a hundred points up. "Third - to Miss. Lily Potter, I award Gryffindor House Fifty points, for remembering to love in even the toughest times," said Dumbledore with twinkling eyes.

"To Mister. Harry Potter,' Dumbledore said. The room went deadly quiet. "For pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."

The din was deafening. Those who could add up while yelling themselves hoarse knew that Gryffindor now had four hundred and seventy-two points - exactly the same as Slytherin. They had tied for the house cup - if only Dumbledore had given Harry just one more point.

Dumbledore raised his hand. The room gradually fell silent.

"There are all kinds of courage," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom."

Someone standing outside the Great Hall might well have thought some sort of explosion had taken place, so loud was the noise that erupted from the Gryffindor table. Harry, Ron, Lily and Hermione stood up to yell and cheer as Neville, white with shock, disappeared under a pile of people hugging him. He had never won so much as a point for Gryffindor before. Lily , still cheering, hit Ron in the ribs and pointed at Malfoy, who couldn't have looked more stunned and horrified if he'd just had the Body-Bind Curse put on him.

"Which means, Dumbledore called over the storm of applause, for even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were celebrating the downfall of Slytherin, "we need a little change of decoration."

He clapped his hands. In an instant, the green hangings became scarlet and the silver became gold; the huge Slytherin serpent vanished and a towering Gryffindor lion took its place. Snape was shaking Professor McGonagall's hand, with a horrible, forced smile. He caught Harry's eye and Harry knew at once that Snape's feelings toward him hadn't changed one jot. This didn't worry Harry. It seemed as though life would be back to normal next year, or as normal as it ever was at Hogwarts.

It was the best evening of Lily's life, better than winning at Quidditch, or Christmas, or knocking out mountain trolls... she would never, ever forget tonight.

Lily had almost forgotten that the exam results were still to come, but come they did. To their great surprise, Ron and Harry passed with good marks; Hermione, of course, had the best grades of the first years, With Lily coming second. Even Neville scraped through, his good Herbology mark making up for his abysmal Potions one. They had hoped that Goyle, who was almost as stupid as he was mean, might be thrown out, but he had passed, too. It was a shame, but as Ron said, you couldn't have everything in life.

And suddenly, their wardrobes were empty, their trunks were packed, Neville's toad was found lurking in a corner of the toilets; notes were handed out to all students, warning them not to use magic over the holidays ("I always hope they'll forget to give us these," said Fred sadly); Hagrid was there to take them down to the fleet of boats that sailed across the lake; they were boarding the Hogwarts Express; talking and laughing as the countryside became greener and tidier; eating Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans as they sped past Muggle towns; pulling off their wizard robes and putting on jackets and coats; pulling into platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station.

It took quite a while for them all to get off the platform. A wizened old guard was up by the ticket barrier, letting them go through the gate in twos and threes so they didn't attract attention by all bursting out of a solid wall at once and alarming the Muggles.

"You must come and stay this summer," said Ron, "both of you - I'll send you an owl." Lily grinned.

"Thanks," said Harry and Lily , "We'll need something to look forward to." People jostled them as they moved forward toward the gateway back to the Muggle world. Some of them called:

"Bye, Harry, Lily!"

"See you, Potter's!"

"Still famous," said Ron, grinning at them.

"Not where we're going, I promise you," said Lily.

Lily,Harry, Ron, and Hermione passed through the gateway together. "There he is, Mom, there he is, look!"

It was Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister, but she wasn't pointing at Ron. "Harry Potter!" she squealed. "Look, Mom! I can see

"Be quiet, Ginny, and it's rude to point."

Mrs. Weasley smiled down at them.

"Busy year?" she said.

"Very," said Harry. "Thanks for the fudge and the sweater, Mrs. Weasley." Lily added with a beaming smile.

"Oh, it was nothing, dear."

"Ready, are you?"

It was Uncle Vernon, still purple-faced, still mustached, still looking furious at the nerve of Lily and Harry, carrying an owl in a cage in a station full of ordinary people. Behind him stood Aunt Petunia and Dudley, looking terrified at the very sight of Lily and her brother.

"You must be Harry's family!" said Mrs. Weasley. Fred, George and even Percy pulled faces at the sight of him.

"In a manner of speaking," said Uncle Vernon. "Hurry up, you two, we haven't got all day." He walked away.

Lily and Harry hung back for a last word with Ron and Hermione.

"See you over the summer, then." Lily hugged Ron, Fred and George, Percy and Hermione tightly.

"Hope you have - er - a good holiday," said Hermione, looking uncertainly after Uncle Vernon, shocked that anyone could be so unpleasant.

"Oh, We will," said Harry, sharing a look with Lily, and they were surprised at the grin that was spreading over their faces. "They don't know we're not allowed to use magic at home. We're going to have a lot of fun with Dudley this summer..."

 **THE END**

* * *

 **AN- So this is the last chapter of Lily Potter and the Philospher's Stone, So soon I'll be writing up the first chapter of Lily Potter and the Chamber of secrets. :) I hope this was alright for a first fanfiction :)**


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